Activism has many different interpretations. Some believe participating in a protest makes one an activist, while others believe that years of research and understanding of a specific topic earns one the title. However, the three people listed below are activists by nature. They work to follow their personal beliefs and have gained national attention for doing so. While they may not be traditional examples of environmental activists, they certainly rise to the occasion.
1. Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez is one of the youngest environmental activists seen in today’s society. This 17-year-old is the youth director of Earth Guardians, a teen-led environmental activist group in the forefront of the clean- environment movement. Xiuhtezcatl is currently one of the “21 youth plaintiffs suing the federal government for the right to clean air, clean water, and a healthy future” and the overall failure of the federal government to protect the atmosphere for future generations. Also, he has made speeches addressing the United Nations on two occasions; at the Rio +20 United Nations summer and the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. He has been on the forefront of inspiring youth into action to protect the Earth, as well as educating global citizens from around the world on the state our planet is currently in. Xiuhtezcatl has won many awards for his actions, including the 2013 United States Community Service Award from President Obama, along with the Peace First Prize and Nickelodeon Halo Award both awarded in 2015, 2016 Captain Planet Award and the 2016 Children’s Climate Prize in Sweden. Xiuhtezcatl breaks the norms of what a traditional environmental activist looks like, he is young, vibrant and is willing to fight on behalf of the future citizens of our world rather than only focusing on the longevity of the current generations.
2. David Y. Ige
As seen in recent news, Donald Trump has made the decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. not only does this decision negatively impact the United States, but the rest of the world as well. The United States is one of the largest producers of CO2 and many other climate change causing emissions, which is what makes this decision dangerous especially for the United States. David Ige Is the Hawaii state Governor, so unhappy with Trump’s decision, that has taken it upon himself to sign and pass two bills regarding the environment; “one of the bills was explicitly geared toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the landmark goals adopted by world leaders with the Paris Agreement in 2015. The other will establish a task force to help the state improve soil health and remove carbon from the atmosphere.” This act of defiance not only will benefit Hawaii and the environment immensely but showed the true strength of David Ige and his morals and regard for the future. It has been speculated that many other states will follow in conjunction with this legislation. This depicts that not only are the people of the United States concerned about Donald Trump’s recent decision, but government representatives and legislators also agree that our world as a whole, would be better off environmentally if we were to follow in accordance with the Paris climate agreement.
3. Elon Musk
Elon Musk is one of the most well-known people in the world, his work with PayPal and Tesla have made him into a household name. However, what many people don’t know is that Elon is consistently pushing for a global revolt against the fossil fuel industry. Taking it a step further and has Elon has not only analyzed why the fossil fuel industry is still thriving but also has created a solution that could be put into place which would curb large amounts of CO2 emissions created from vehicles. Elon states that the fossil fuel industry is continuing to “to hold a competitive edge against greener alternatives due to the vast amounts of subsidies they receive.” Due to his realization of the monopoly that the Industry holds, his solution, in this case, would be “to introduce a price on carbon by defining a tax rate on greenhouse gas emissions or the carbon content of fossil fuels”. This action would reduce the fossil fuels industry’s impact on political decisions and various environmental decisions made by the governments of the world. Although Elon is typically known as an entrepreneur and ‘ Tech Wiz’ he has been at the forefront of many radical, successful ideas and hs acknowledgement and support of reducing the use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions goes to show how one of the most educated and successful people in the world can not only influence opinion on environmental issues but also actively work to create solutions and prevent further environmental damage.
