Around the world, young people, people of colour and members of the LGBT+ community are leading the movement to fight the climate crisis. Jade Wilson highlights some of those changemakers taking a stand.

Jade Wilson

People of colour are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. Those across the global south are already facing the impacts - including displacement, exploitation and death due to climate disasters. So too are LGBT+ people far more likely than their straight, cisgender counterparts to fall into poverty or homelessness. Worldwide, it is estimated that 40% of homeless youth are LGBT+, therefore, putting the community at a greater risk of facing the impacts of ecological breakdown.

For a more in-depth look at the people highlighted along with further additions to the list, you can read the full story on www.gcn.ie.

This is why these communities have long been demanding radical change and it’s high time we listen. With that in mind, here are five environmental activists we should all pay attention to.

ALICIA O’SULLIVAN

18 year-old Alicia has been a leading voice in youth climate activism for the past few months. Very quickly, Alicia went from protesting alongside a few hundred people in Ireland to 350,000 in New York City. She was chosen to represent Ireland at the UN Climate Summit in September. A Young Ocean Ambassador, she attended the Ocean Wealth Summit in June where she had the opportunity to discuss climate issues with former US Secretary of State, John Kerry, and Táinaiste Simon Coveney. She has also been an activist for the reform of sexual education in Ireland and the development of ‘GenerationZ’ - a project aimed at helping parents understand their children regarding mental health and LGBT+ matters.

FIADH MELINA

Fiadh is a 24 year-old pansexual climate activist based in Dublin. Her primary form of activism is through video. Currently working on a climate action short inspired by one of Greta Thunberg’s speeches, she has recorded people of all ages and backgrounds across the world. She says: “With words like Greta’s and my little girl counting on me to leave a habitable world behind for her, it’s impossible not to create something to join in the fight against climate change.” Fiadh’s father was a longtime environmental activist in Dingle. She says: “I guess it runs in the family.”

HELENA GUALINGA

Helena is a 17 year-old from a small community in Ecuador called Sarayuku in the Amazon rainforest. Experts say the Amazon rainforest will face further destruction due to increased wildfires as our climate continues to change, placing Helena’s home at risk. She has been fighting for justice her entire life, alongside her aunts and uncles against big companies and big oil in order to protect their territories. She uses social media to keep the world informed about what is happening in the Amazon. Attending the Global Climate Strike in New York, Gualinga held a sign reading “Indigenous Blood, Not A Single Drop More!’

ISRA HIRSI

Isra is a 16 year-old climate activist based in Minneapolis. In January 2019, Isra co-founded the American branch of a global youth climate change movement alongside 12-yearold climate activist Haven Coleman. Isra has advocated for the Green New Deal and has been speaking out about the need to diversify the environmental justice movement to create space for young people of colour. Despite not being old enough to vote yet, Isra is determined to change the agendas of presidential candidates to include climate change preventative measures. She is also the daughter of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, the first Muslim woman and first Somali American in Congress.

SAOI O’CONNOR

Cork climate activist Saoi has been called “Ireland’s Greta Thunberg”. Saoi is 16 years-old and has been striking every week since January 2019 as part of the Fridays for Future movement, holding the placard reading “The Emperor Has No Clothes”. She has participated in multiple protests abroad and travelled to attend conferences and debates about climate change, including a debate at the European Parliament. She hopes to one-day study law, though for now, she says her activism is her focus and a 24/7 job.