The past two weeks have been momentous and historic. President Obama’s time as president of the United States came to a close, while quite possibly the largest march in US history took place on Saturday, following the inauguration of Donald Trump as president.
In Obama’s last weeks as president, he continued to strengthen his environmental legacy by protecting scientists through new guidelines set by the US Department of Energy and by transferring $500 million dollars to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) on Wednesday. He even published an article in the journal Science about “The irreversible momentum of clean energy.” Want to know more about what Obama did for the environment during his time as president? Check out our post here.
In regard to the Women’s March, several environmental groups partnered with the organizers to show solidarity and demand social and environmental justice. An estimated 500,000 people (if not more) attended the march in DC alone, yet sister marches also took place in numerous other cities in the US and around the world, with an estimated 3 million participants total. The Women’s March Global leadership team has emphasized that the march was not a protest but rather the beginning of a peaceful and proactive movement to defend women’s rights but also a healthy planet.
In other news, are you looking to visit a National Park this year? This week five federal land management agencies including the US National Park Service announced days that visitors can come for free in 2017. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Veterans Day, National Public Lands Day (NPLD-on September 30) are just some of them! Check out this site for a full list of this year’s federal fee-free days.
Quote of the Week: “The education of women is the best way to save the environment”- E.O. Wilson
The Sustainability Co-Op 