Growing up in a marginalized Los Angeles neighborhood, one of the most polluted cities in America, Patel was diagnosed with heart palpitations stemming from that pollution at age 14. “Creating more space for those with marginalized identities in the climate space is necessary for inclusive solutions,” she tells Vox. But she helped to file her first legal complaint against the Indian government when she was just 9 years old, and it culminated in the National Green Tribunal Act of 2010. “[That] is all great,” Mengistu says about the technical focus, “but it intersecting issues of oppression and puts resources in different places. MEET THE BLACK AND BROWN TEENS FIGHTING TO PROTECT THEIR LANDS FROM INDUSTRIAL, MILITARY, AND COLONIALIST ACTIONS THAT HAVE CAUSED CLIMATE CHANGE. Inside the youth climate movement hoping to inspire a new generation of voters. So my family came here for better opportunities.”. Ad Choices, 9 Climate Activists of Color You Should Know. They want to prioritize youth, black, indigenous and people of color - as well as other marginalized communities. It was in 2016 when I was invited to gift Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a water bundle, a ceremonial copper bowl. Helena Gualinga is an activist from the Ecuadorian Amazon who has been fighting for environmental justice since she was a little kid. of Flint, the crisis is not over yet,” Copeny says. “You didn't just erase a photo. I am a warrior, I am a water protector and a land defender. The water isn’t safe to drink is She organized a climate strike on her campus at the University of North Texas this fall. ZA: I don’t believe me fighting for my right and everyone else’s right to live makes me unique. also!! That’s the only way we are going to learn how to shift our culture from an extraction culture to a balanced and harmonious culture with the land.”. Levy says, “I am passionate about giving people of color a seat at the table and strive for environmental justice around the world.”. The youth activist has worked with Zero Hour for the past They’re encouraging other young people to reach out to the Maine Climate Council to provide feedback and get involved. My country has huge potential to reduce the use of fossil fuels, and because of the Government’s inaction, I approached the National Green Tribunal.”. Fayokun is an 18-year-old youth climate striker. Jamie Margolin (17), a queer mixed-race Latina, is the co-Executive Director of Zero Hour, a youth of color-ledorganization which “educate[s] communities around the country and abroad about the systems of oppression that [are] root causes of climate change in our platform, including Capitalism, Racism, Sexism, Colonialism, and how these systems intersect with the climate movement to form climate justice” and their platform “specifies the need for climate justice, including equity, racial justice, and economic justice.” She credits her Colombian immigrant and an Ashkenazi Jewish parents with fostering her passion for activism and advocacy of communities at the margins. Ridhima Pandey (11) is from Uttarakhand, India and is among the 16 young activists in a joint lawsuit against Germany, France, Brazil, Argentina and Turkey for their environmental destruction. “And I think that’s all part of “Those are parts of my identity that intersect with a lot of different existing oppressions.” Mengistu points out that she’s inspired by Ethiopia, which just broke a world record for planting the most trees in a single day. She “There are dozens of Flints across the country. Sign up to receive email updates from YES! At just eight years old, she realized that without government intervention and action her generation’s future was in peril. She points to Indigenous-led protests against the Minnesota oil pipeline, Line 3, where the struggle against colonialism and the denigration of Native people can’t be separated from the pressing environmental issues. But the impending emergency isn’t isolated to warming alone. facing similar challenges. The ticking clock logo I created has been a symbol not only for the Zero Hour movement, but for general youth climate activism movements. BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - A group of youth climate change activists is working on a proposal for Maine’s Climate Action Plan. Isra Hirsi(16), daughter of US Representative Ilhan Omar, is the co-founder of the US Youth Climate Strike. According to her website, Copeny has I am not a climate celebrity and I have no interest in being that. As the co-founder, co-executive director, and art director of the This Is Zero Hour movement, Nazar uses her art to communicate a necessary message: we must take action. The climate crisis is a hot topic, in part because the global temperature has risen by more than 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit since 1906.