2019 has been the year of the young climate activists. The Global Climate Strike, which was spearheaded by young people, saw millions of people worldwide take to the streets to demand action on climate change – likely the largest public demonstration of its kind in history.
Many of these young climate activists are active on social media, which gives all of us the chance to interact and hear what they have to say. Here are 5 young climate activists to follow on social media.
Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist who, at the age of 15, took time off of school to demonstrate outside of the Swedish Parliament, calling for more action on climate change. Thunberg is well known for holding no punches. Her words tend to be blunt and straight forward, punctuating the importance of the issue she speaks to.
You can follow Greta on Twitter and Instagram.
Eyal Weintrau
Eyal is a young climate activist who organized a protest in front of the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “We have reached a point in history when we have the technical capacities to solve poverty, malnutrition, inequality and of course global warming.” Says Eyal. “The deciding factors for whether we take advantage of our potential will be our activism and our international unity.”
You can follow Eyal on Instagram.
Isra Hirsi
At the age of 16, Isra Hirsi cofounded the US Youth Climate Strike, an organization that lead student climate strikes around the United States. Isra was inspired to take action by the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, where people were being poisoned by outdated plumbing. Isra is also involved in MN Can’t Wait, which is a coalition of organizations calling on Minnesota’s state government to take action on environmental issues.
You can follow Isra on Instagram and Twitter.
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
Xiuhtezcatl got started young, first speaking out about environmental issues at the age of 6. He was among 21 young plaintiffs that sued the US Federal Government over climate change inaction. Today, he’s an indigenous activist and the youth director of Earth Guardians, which trains young people around the world on how to use civic engagement and the arts to solve pressing environmental issues.
You can follow Xiuhtezcatl on Twitter and Instagram.
Leah Namugerwa
Leah Namugerwa, a teenager in Uganda and member of Fridays for Future Uganda strikes every single Friday for the climate. Leah was compelled to do something after seeing how drought, famine, and other climate disasters impacted his country. She was inspired by Greta Thunberg to begin striking every single week for Climate Justice. She is currently working toward a complete plastic bag ban in Uganda.
