Alex Rodriguez: Building a Resilient Long Island Sound Region
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by: Project Drawdown|Published on: January 5, 2024
Videos
Scientist Reviewed
9101112AP
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video interview discusses the work of Alex Rodriguez, an environmental justice specialist in New York who works with Save the Sound, an organization dedicated to protecting the Long Island Sound from destruction.
- Students will hear about Alex's observations on environmental racism, activism, and stewardship, and there are discussion questions and suggested actions included.

Subjects: Civics, Career Skills
Authors: Project Drawdown
Region: North America, USA - Northeast, United States, New York, Long Island NY
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The interviewee gives young people suggestions for how they can affect change.
- Students will benefit from seeing marginalized groups, such as people of color and those identifying as non-binary, represented in the climate justice movement.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should understand what environmental racism is and the need for environmental justice.
- Students may benefit from background knowledge about Hurricane Maria and its impact on Puerto Rico.
Differentiation
- Social studies students can compare and contrast the responses to the hurricanes that impacted Texas and Puerto Rico. They can use the differences as evidence to explain the role environmental racism plays in increased natural hazards.
- Students can design a virtual field trip to Long Island Sound, highlighting its need for protection.
- Civics students can research and discuss how environmental justice movements lead to policy and law changes.
- Students can research the education and experience needed to become an environmental justice specialist like the interviewee.
This resource is a video interview with Alex Rodriguez, an Environmental Justice Specialist in New York. Rodriguez touches on a number of environmental justice topics, such as environmental racism, extreme weather, public health, and stewardship. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider

Project Drawdown
Project Drawdown is a nonprofit organization that seeks to help the world reach “drawdown”—the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. Cities, universities, corporations, philanthropies, policymakers, communities, educators, activists, and more turn to Project Drawdown as they look to advance effective climate action. Project Drawdown resources for educators include the database of Drawdown Solutions, educational video series Climate Solutions 101, the Drawdown Stories initiative, and more.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
