Activists have always played a very important role through traditional media in the fight against climate change. Nowadays, social networks are in this aspect, and in many others, fundamental tools for spreading messages. One can influence people who are present on these networks by transmitting them a message of awareness regarding the environmental crisis in which we find ourselves and which, thanks to such activists, reaches more people.
Manifestations are becoming more popular and massive among young students under the age of 25, who are aware of the consequences of global warming and about how it will affect their generation.
Activists against climate change
Greta Thunberg
This young, Swedish girl who is only 16 years old, is not just a student. She has become a relevant and famous activist within the last year. In august 2018, she started organizing student strikes, mainly with the objective to generate social awareness about the big problem that is global warming.
She has become an important character lately due to her numerous, international events and she became an international speaker who advocates for the protection of our planet.
She started giving TEDx talks in Stockholm and reached the top with her speech on the climate change at the United Nations.
Greta has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Parliament and she even wrote a book called “No one is too small to make a difference”, which is about the climate and global warming.
Haven Coleman
Being only 12 years old, she protested the climate change in front of government buildings and environmentally damaging business establishments in the United States.
Haven, just like so many other young people, has been influenced by great activists like Greta Thurnberg, who have encouraged youth climate movements to take the streets every Friday to fight for environmental rights.
The young Haven literally said, “The reason why we’re holding these ‘climate strikes’ is to try to call the adults’ attention, because we cannot vote, but we can influence the Senators.” Through statements like this, she tried to become and became an influential activist to whom people listen.
Katherine Hayhoe
This 47-years-old Canadian woman is a meteorological scientist, professor at the Texas Tech University, and activist and director of the Climate Science Center.
She wrote a book about climate change awareness, entitled “A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions.”
This activist is known for her statements, such as: “The climate change is here and now, not in some distant time or place, and, therefore, if we don’t take action now, we will have significant problems in the not too distant future.”
Influencers fighting against climate change
As mentioned before, being an activist against climate change does not only involve actions or protests in the streets and traditional media, but actions are also carried out on social media.
The most influential activists on social media, or the so-called ‘influencers against climate change’ who are currently the most relevant and who have the most followers on social media are the following:
Greta Thunberg
Again, the young Greta. She has a huge presence and visibility on social media with 2.2 million followers on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0LnAofi4ov/
Immy Lucas
This girl uses her account to offer advice on how to reduce waste. She also talks about the different environmental problems and veganism. She has 60,100 followers on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0GvX1LHC2I/
Manuela Baron
Manuela uses her social media accounts to create motivational posts and to share videos about sustainability.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BznzonSpl5w/
Elizbeth Farrell
Through her Instagram account with nearly 10,000 followers, she raises awareness about the devastating effects of the climate change.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjuaUwOF6X6/
Connie Isla
The most influential activist on social media in Spain is this 25-year-old woman, claiming veganism as a life option and defining herself as “a vegan for the animals, for my health, for the environment, and for the human rights.”
