People in Action
Melati and Isabel Wijsen
These two students not only said no to plastic bags, but campaigned long and hard to make Bali plastic-free. They collected a million signatures to declare Bali as a no plastic zone and even went on hunger strike inspired by Mahatma Gandhi till the authorities agreed to back them up. Melati and Isabel made a big difference to their country of Bali, by going brown instead of plastic.
Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist on climate change whose campaigning has gained international recognition. She urges immediate action to address the climate crisis. In August 2018, Thunberg started spending her school days outside the Swedish parliament to call for stronger action on climate change by holding up a sign reading "Skolstrejk för klimatet" which means "school strike for climate." Later, many other students had similar protests in their own communities. They then organized a school climate strike movement called Fridays for Future. She addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference and after that student strikes took place every week all over the world. In 2019, Greta Thunberg attended the UN Climate Action Summit where she gave her famous “how dare you” speech.
Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic
Plastic pollutants are turning up everywhere, especially in Hawaii due to the currents. Researchers estimate that by 2050 the oceans will contain more plastic—by weight—than fish. Plastic poses a serious threat to both ocean animals and humans. To fight this frightening prediction, 17 Hawaiian students not only clean the beaches, but also study the impact of plastic pollution on their local beaches in order to help create a more sustainable future for the world’s oceans.
Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan environmentalist and political activist. Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in Africa in 1977 and helped to plant over 30 million trees, providing jobs to the unemployed while also preventing soil erosion and securing firewood. She noticed how environmental degradation was affecting women's lives and encouraged them to plant trees to ensure supplies of firewood and to protect water sources and crops for the future. Maathai also joined the struggle against the repressive regime of Daniel arap Moi. She tried to stop politicians from grabbing land which created conflict between her and the Establishment. This led to her being beaten and arrested numerous times. In Kenya, her defiance and courage made her a hero. Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to win the Nobel Prize in 2004.
Chico Mendes
Chico Mendes was a Brazilian environmentalist. Mendes fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest. He also advocated for the human rights of Brazilian peasants and indigenous people. Mendes is known for his efforts at saving the rainforests in Brazil from ranching and logging activities. His attempts to ignite international support for its preservation drew the wrath of powerful ranching and timber interests. He was assassinated by a rancher in 1988.
"I became an ecologist long before I had ever heard the word."