Zakia Elliott is a program manager for Philadelphia Climate Works who brings residents, environmental organizations, and labor unions together to discuss ways that climate change impacts us and build strategies to mitigate those harms.
Her work helps Philadelphia to combat climate change by justly investing in its workforce and its impacted communities.
Philadelphia Climate Works focuses on a range of issues, from diesel pollution and transit equity to housing disrepair, energy burdens, and health and safety hazards from waste collection.
As the program manager of this coalition, Zakia’s job is to build relationships between people experiencing climate change; facilitate the creation of community-generated solutions; and create pathways for their experiences to be involved in policies and programs formed to address these challenges.
Zakia’s favorite part of the job is building a network of many people across the city who are passionate about the wellbeing of their communities.
She says that “This work has shown me how resilient we already are, and my favorite moments in my job are when I get to uplift the work that is already being done and is often overlooked, and when everyday people are respected as experts through this work--we know which policies worked and which missed the mark, and we know what needs to happen now for our communities to thrive.”
Zakia became interested in conservation while attending an after-school science enrichment program called Women in Natural Sciences out of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.
The program brought together young girls, (mostly girls of color), from across Philadelphia to learn more about science, research, and college and career preparation.
“I fell in love with the environment through that program,” she says. “We went on hikes and camping trips, assisted academy scientists with aspects of their research, went on college tours, and were affirmed that we had a place in the sciences and learned to be stewards in our natural and urban environment.”
Because of those experiences, Zakia has recognized the needs in her community and is able to be an advocate for change.
She sees that climate justice is as much about economic and racial justice as it is about the impacts of unmitigated carbon pollution, heat, and flooding.
She wants others to be involved by having conversations and asking questions with friends, neighbors, and parents, and listening to different people’s life experiences.
“Pay attention to the issues impacting your neighborhood and ask questions,” Zakia says. “Don’t be afraid to attend public meetings and hearings and ask questions. Do your research. The best advice I can give is to listen to your gut and invest in the spaces that support the values that are important to you and your community.”
Know of a good natured Pennsylvanian who is passionate about outdoor recreation and/or conservation that we should feature? Contact DCNR by sending an email to: ra-resource@pa.gov to nominate someone.
For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog, Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
(Reprinted from DCNR’s March 4 Resource newsletter. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)
[Posted: March 5, 2020] PA Environment Digest
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