Five Climate Change Activists you should Follow
In the era of digital influence, social media stars have emerged as captivating figures who command immense followings and shape popular culture. With their charismatic presence, unique talents, and relatable content, these individuals have captured the attention of millions, transcending geographical boundaries and connecting with diverse audiences.
We bring you five remarkable social media stars, exploring their journeys, impact, and the secrets behind their online success.
Xiye Bastida Patrick is a Mexican climate activist and member of the Indigenous Otomi community. She is one of the major organizers of Fridays for Future New York City and has been a leading voice for indigenous and immigrant visibility in climate activism. She was born on 18th April 2002. Bastida was born in Atlacomulco, Mexico, to parents Mindahi and Geraldine, who are also environmentalists and raised in the town of San Pedro Tultepec in Lerma.
Teen Vogue released a documentary short We Rise on Bastida, in December 2019. Bastida has also collaborated with 2040 film to create a short video called Imagine the Future exploring what landscapes and cityscapes could look like in the future. Bastida contributed to All We Can Save, an anthology of women writing about climate change. She spoke at the Leadership Summit on Climate hosted by the Biden Administration, delivering a speech urging world leaders to participate more in climate activism.
Alexandria Villaseñor (born 2005) is an American climate activist living in New York. A follower of the Fridays for Future movement and of fellow climate activist Greta Thunberg, Villaseñor is a co-founder of U.S. Youth Climate Strike and the founder of Earth Uprising.
In May 2019, Villaseñor was the recipient of the Disruptor Award from the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards (TDIA), received a scholarship from The Common Good public advocacy organization, and was awarded a Youth Climate Leadership prize from Earth Day Network. On August 19, 2020, Alexandria addressed the Democratic National Convention as part of their segment on climate change. In mid-January 2020, she attended the World Economic Forum as a youth speaker and then participated in the School strike for climate in Davos, Switzerland alongside Greta Thunberg on January 24, 2020.On August 19, 2020, Alexandria addressed the Democratic National Convention as part of their segment on climate change. On December 1, 2020, she was named by Seventeen magazine as one of their 2020 Voices of the Year.
Luisa-Marie Neubauer (born 21 April 1996) is a German climate activist. She is one of the main organizers of the school strike for climate movement in Germany, where it is commonly referred to under its alternative name Fridays for Future. She advocates a climate policy that complies with and surpasses the Paris Agreement and endorses de-growth. Neubauer is a member of Alliance 90/The Greens and the Green Youth.
As of the beginning of 2019, Neubauer became known as one of the leading Fridays for Future activists. Many media outlets refer to her as the “German face of the movement.” Neubauer rejects comparisons of herself and other strike organizers to Greta Thunberg, saying: “We’re building a mass-movement and reaching out quite far in our methods of mobilizing and gaining attention. What Greta does is incredibly inspiring but actually relatively far from that.”
Isra Hirsi
Hirsi was born on 22 February 2003 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is the daughter of Somali American U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi. At the age of 12, she was one of the participants protesting for justice for Jamar Clark at the Mall of America. Hirsi attended Minneapolis South High School, from which she graduated in 2021. She became involved in climate activism after joining her high school’s environmental club in her freshman year.
Hirsi coordinated the organization of hundreds of student-led strikes across the United States on March 15 and May 3, 2019. She co-founded the U.S. Youth Climate Strike, the American arm of a global youth climate change movement, in January 2019. She acts as the co-executive director of this group. In 2019, she won a Brower Youth Award. That same year, Hirsi received the Voice of the Future Award. In 2020, Hirsi was placed on BET‘s “Future 40” list.
Emy Kane is a strategist with a focus on cross-platform digital engagement, communications, and partnership building with a deep understanding of ocean conservation and how to effectively measure and communicate impact. She thrive on crafting meaningful collaborations and building brands with purpose. Her Specialities are Brand development, social media strategy & management, influencer engagement, ghost writing, strategic communications, coalition building, design direction, public relations, and brand partnerships.
Emy Kane is the Director of Digital Strategy at Lonely Whale and Program Manager at Ocean Heroes Bootcamp. She promotes a reduction of plastic use on Instagram via hashtags #StrawlessOcean and #StopSucking, which earned transcription into over 25 languages across 40 countries. She is recognized by Passion Passport as a top social media thought leader.
Staff Reporter
