Drawdown’s Neighborhood, presented by Project Drawdown, is a series of short documentaries featuring the stories of climate solutions heroes, city by city across America. The fourth edition—Drawdown’s Neighborhood: New Orleans – is now available online!
The Big Easy. Crescent City. The Birthplace of Jazz. The Paris of the South. N’awlins. Or simply NOLA. The latest installment of Drawdown’s Neighborhood takes us to one of the most vibrant and resilient cities in the United States: New Orleans, Louisiana.
New Orleans is more than a city rich in culture; it is a place of resilience, where people live, work and play on the frontlines of climate change with hurricanes, oil drilling disasters, and shrinking coastlines due to sea level rise lingering as not-too-distant concerns.
It is also home to a diverse network of people and organizations working on climate solutions. Often, the communities most immediately and severely affected by climate change—including Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color—are excluded from dialogues about solutions. Drawdown's Neighborhood: New Orleans features the stories of eight change-makers working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a healthier, more just future for all.
Voices of New Orleans
Join host and Project Drawdown storyteller Matt Scott as he introduces us to:
Melody Arcia, Communications Coordinator, SOUL (Sustaining Our Urban Landscape)
Joshua Benitez, Co-Director, Common Ground Relief
Travis Charles Banks, Project Manager and Principal, Gravel Road Builders & Construction Services
Jonshell Johnson, Education Coordinator, Grow Dat Youth Farm
Willie Jones III, Green Infrastructure Technician, Groundwork New Orleans
Shelley Stiaes, Wildlife Refuge Manager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Ashley Thompson, Resident Services Coordinator, SBP (St. Bernard Project), St. Peter Apartments
Tinice Willams, Executive Director, Feed the Second Line
Much of New Orleans’ history is shared orally and not necessarily documented; powerful and culturally significant stories of resistance, repair, strength, healing, and solidarity can serve as a solution blueprint for future generations.
Share These Stories
Help us amplify the work of climate heroes across New Orleans by sharing their stories with others in your network and across social media. Please feel free to copy and past the posts below:
Sample post 1:
Discover your inner climate superhero! Check out #DrawdownsNeighborhood: #NewOrleans, presented by @ProjectDrawdown – a short doc series that tells the stories of 8 climate heroes enacting meaningful change & strengthening their communities’ climate resilience. www.drawdown.org/neighborhood
Sample post 2:
Join @ProjectDrawdown on a journey to #PassTheMic to climate heroes whose stories often go unheard. This month let us take you to #NewOrleans to show you how 8 residents are working day in & day out to help create a healthier & more livable future for all. www.drawdown.org/neighborhood
Sample post 3:
Want to help stop climate change… but not sure where to start? #DrawdownsNeighborhood: #NewOrleans features 8 stories from a city where people are mobilizing to fuel a green future by turning #ClimateSolutions into #ClimateAction. www.drawdown.org/neighborhood
Additional, shareable assets include:
The Drawdown’s Neighborhood landing page
Drawdown’s Neighborhood: New Orleans trailer
Drawdown’s Neighborhood: New Orleans promotional graphic
