Harnessing People Power: How Councilmember O’Rourke advocates for the environment and the working class

Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke discusses affordability and access to green initiatives in our latest Civic Catalyst series.

Get to know: Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke

Role: Councilmember at Large. Member of the Working Families Party, Minority Whip. Member of the Committee on the Environment.

Green superpower: People power. 

How O’Rourke wields his superpower: Organizing and harnessing the weight of organized people. O’Rourke uses music and song – his “first love in life” – to help gather advocates. “We use chant as a ritual within protest movements, as well as to keep the spirit alive and keep people marching forward,” says O’Rourke. 

What he finds fun about sustainability work:  Working for the environment gives him the opportunity to appreciate the planet. O’Rourke is a pastor and connects the work to his faith. “Seeing nature in its rawest is almost a spiritual encounter for me,” he says. “Every time I go, I feel genuinely more in tune with myself.”

Challenges to overcome in the sustainability movement: Environmental loss can lead to grief, which O’Rourke warns against getting stuck in. “We can’t mourn only what we’ve lost,” he says. Rather, he believes that reminding people of the beauty of the planet can help draw them into doing the work necessary to save it. 

What O’Rourke is looking forward to in Philly’s sustainability scene: Advocating for better affordability during the green transition. “The cost of living is high, but the cost of living a sustainable, healthy life cannot be high [to] actually reach working families,” says O’Rourke.

He launched an Affordable Philly Now initiative at the beginning of October to address accessibility to housing, transportation, and utilities in ways that coincide with sustainability practices. The initiative includes pushing to make the city’s zero-fare SEPTA program permanent and keeping Philadelphia’s water system out of the private market. Beyond Affordable Philly Now, he says he will prioritize reducing carbon emissions from commercial buildings in the city.

His advice for getting involved: Start volunteering and learning at a community garden. The “closer we can get to soil, to grass, to ground,” the more engaged O’Rourke believes people will feel. O’Rourke has a personal connection to gardening as well; his brother is a farmer. 

How to get in touch: Follow Councilmember O’Rourke on Instagram, Facebook, or X. Visit his office at City Hall, Room 319A. And find out more about the We Own It measure to keep Philadelphia’s city water owned by the public. 

Cover photo: Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke, courtesy of PHL Council

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