Climate crisis is now the hot topic, in part as the global temperature has risen by more than 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit since 1906. Climate change is also bringing extreme weather, wildfires, rising sea levels, and devastation for sea animals. When most of the people are stay quiet, there are some youth who is speaking up and raising their voice to protect our motherland and you should know about them.

Chebet Lesan

With pollution killing over 4 million people annually, Chebet Lesan of Kenya is simultaneously revolutionizing access to energy and tackling endemic pollution caused by cheap energy sources. Chebet is the Founder & CEO of BrightGreen Renewable Energy; so far, they have produced and distributed over 100 tons of sustainable fuel briquettes directly impacting over 300 households. Working with their local government, BrightGreen has collected over 120 tonnes of waste from Nairobi; it has saved over 800 tons of trees in Kenya forests.

John Paul Jose 

22-year-old climate activist, writer, and global peace ambassador John Paul Jose provide a commentary on our environmental crisis through an Indian lens. From discussions on the impacts on India’s iconic forests and trees to examinations on the connections between climate action and sustainable development, water, and food security. He feels today’s politicians are pawning off the job of protecting India, and the planet, to their successors.

Vic Barrett 

Vic is from low-lying land in New York and has felt firsthand climate impacts in the form of Hurricane Sandy. Vic is a Fellow with the Alliance for Climate Education, who spoke at the COP21 UN. Conference on Climate Change and spoke at the UN headquarters in New York City. After marching in solidarity with more than 400,000 people at the People’s Climate March in New York City, he organized his peers in local frontline climate campaigns. Vic is now an undergraduate student at UW-Madison and is also among 21 youth activists who are actively using the government to take action on climate change.