A growing chorus of young people is fighting climate doomism, a narrative that indicates the world has already lost its fight against climate change. Despite the pessimistic claim of climate doomism, young individuals are taking up the roles of climate and eco-content creators by producing original, entertaining, and educational content to change the minds and habits of people worldwide and ultimately reshape the existing climate narrative.
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In March 2024, Pique Action and Harvard Chan C-CHANGE released their annual list of 17 climate creators to follow in 2024. The list is part of a collaborative project between US-based climate media startup Pique Action and Harvard University’s Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment. The project aims to recognize climate content creators who are inspiring global audiences to stay engaged and take action on climate change through storytelling.
People, especially younger generations, increasingly rely on social media like TikTok and Instagram for regular news updates. According to Pew Research Center, 33% of adults aged 18-29 and 15% aged 30-49 in the US prefer getting daily news from social media. But when it comes to news, individuals become fixated on all sorts of things, and climate doomism is one of them. The mass media’s fixation on grim climate news plants the idea of doom on our planet, fostering inaction and hopelessness in people.
Fortunately, young climate communicators are still fighting and advocating for the planet by building their own community of supporters. Together, they are dismantling climate doomism with their ability to reach audiences from diverse backgrounds, commitment to sharing accurate and evidence-based information, and presenting alternative narratives that highlight hopeful climate news.
These creators, or climate “influencers”, are motivating their audiences to be more engaged in climate action by covering some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time, spotlighting advocacy events, and giving a voice to those affected by the impacts of global warming. In the era of fake news, content creators are shifting the way social platforms are used for news, demonstrating the power creators hold, specifically the power climate influencers have on the world to incite climate action.
Here are five youth climate content creators tearing down climate doom and reshaping how the world thinks about climate change and its impact on our planet, one post at a time.
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1. Simon Clark @simonoxfphys
Simon Clark is a science communicator from Bath, United Kingdom. Completing his PhD in theoretical atmospheric physics from the University of Exeter, his specialty is creating content focusing on Earth sciences, space, physics, and the climate crisis. He often answers critical climate questions with a healthy dose of science literacy.
With a successful YouTube channel and a massive following on Instagram, his short and to-the-point climate content often stirs up healthy conversation and debate among his subscribers.
2. Veronica Mulenga @veronicamulenga_
Veronica is an African climate and environmental justice activist from Lusaka, Zambia. Her work is rooted in climate racism and justice. She raises awareness about the disproportionate impacts of climate change on the most vulnerable and marginalised communities, through campaigns, storytelling, and climate initiatives.
She is part of the global youth-led movement Youth Climate Save. Launched in 2020, it is the first youth-led climate movement of its kind, focusing on the role of animal agriculture in the worsening climate crisis and advocating for a vegan diet and lifestyle.
The movement collaborates with local schools, governments, and hospitals to organise campaigns, events, and legislation. Veronica is in charge of the movement’s chapter in Zambia, Youth Climate Save Zambia.
3. Bodhi Patil @bodhi_patil
Bodhi is an award-winning GenZ ocean-climate solutionist from Vancouver, Canada. He is dedicated to improving both ocean and human health through a myriad of projects, workshops, conferences, and media content that fosters community building.
At the age of 13, after graduating from the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, Bodhi founded his first social enterprise – InnerLight. Having faced climate anxiety and depression at an early age, he realised the critical need to develop and foster young people’s resilience. InnerLight aims at building mentally and physically strong ocean guardians by focusing on the intersection of climate, mental health, and well-being. Its mission is to spread ocean literacy and wellness education.
Bodhi is also the co-creator of Ocean Uprise, a creative activist movement that provides a safe space for networking where young and emerging creators, thinkers, and leaders can raise awareness, learn, collaborate and take action for the oceans.
Bodhi is the youngest official member of the Indigenous Wisdom Keepers Delegation, a global ancestrally-rooted community. The Wisdom Keepers are bringing back ancient wisdom rooted in Indigenous practices in restoring planetary well-being such as through the just transition to a world free of fossil fuels.
The Indigenous Wisdom Keepers Delegation is part of the Indigenous United Nations Delegation which took part in last December’s UN climate summit COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with Bodhi as one of the speakers.
Bodhi has been featured and recognized by the United Nations and has spoken in front of world leaders at over ten global climate conferences, COP28 being just one of them.
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4. Navya Singh @newswithnavya
Navya is a climate journalist from Goa, India. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Media, Economics, and Political Science from Christ University. With a strong interest in the planet’s well-being, Navya shifted her focus and commitment to uncovering the truth behind the climate crisis, raising awareness, and inspiring positive change for the planet.
In January 2022, Navya started “News With Navya”, an independent news outlet that aims to build a community of eco-conscious citizens and share how climate change is affecting people and the planet through valuable climate stories covering current global and local climate affairs, positive climate initiatives, and climate solutions. “News With Navya” pushes for sustainable practices and bringing in accountability to people in power.
She is well-known in the climate circle for her perspective on embracing climate issues rather than succumbing to climate doomism. As a youth sustainability enthusiast, she believes it is imperative for people to understand how their actions and choices impact climate change.
5. Sumak Helena Gualinga @helenagualinga
Helena is a young environmental activist and indigenous land and human rights defender from the Kichwa people in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Throughout her life, she has witnessed colonial threats from the Ecuadorian government and the rise of big oil corporations such as Argentine oil company CGC, who have been scattering explosives across her indigenous land to free up land.
She is the co-founder of the Indigenous Youth Collective of Amazon Defenders. She has spoken about the destruction of the Amazon, at several global conferences and forums such as COP27 and the World Economic Forum to advocate against extractivism – the practice of extracting a country’s natural resources for personal, commercial and industrial uses which are then sold globally with minimal. Extractivism in the Ecuadorian side of the Amazon is mainly linked to oil extraction and large-scale foreign copper, silver, and gold mining projects and has resulted in huge environmental damage.
Coming from a long line of activists, Helena continues her family’s legacy of fighting big oil companies and raising awareness about their environmental impact on Indigenous land.
Conclusion
These five climate creators are changing the narrative of climate doomism, each in their own special way. Their contribution in building a strong climate and eco-conscious community through myriad of initiatives, social enterprises, and Indigenous storytelling proves the many ways one can bring hope and optimism in the combat against climate change.
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