SHOW HIM HOW IT’S DONE
For everyone on this planet who cares about its future, 2017 has been beyond bleak. Climate change has never felt more palpable or terrifying. California and much of the west lost millions of acres in sweeping wildfires, three massive hurricanes, and record-breaking droughts and heatwaves caused chaos and destruction as no one has ever seen. There were over 15 disasters with a price tag that exceeded $1 billion.
President Donald Trump sat back, however, and largely turned a blind eye.
As you are about to see, though, that didn’t deter these warriors from effecting change in their own ways. The heroes listed below took it upon themselves to change the world and fight to save the planet. As you are about to see, they’re doing exactly that.
THE SISTERS OF MERCY
Nuns are not generally the first thing one thinks of when picturing environmental warriors. However, the Sisters of Mercy prove that one should do just that. They were vehemently against Trump pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, and they have been very vocal about protecting arctic wildlife from oil drilling.
The Sisters wrote in a letter that:
“The exploitation of fossil fuels in the Refuge will contribute to climate change and threaten the 10,000-year-old traditions that the Gwich’in people depend upon to survive.”
GITANJALI RAO (12 years old)
That is no typo. Gitanjali Rao is a 12-year-old from Colorado.
Rao saw what was happening in Flint, Michigan, with their water supply and decided there must be something she could do to help. She ended up creating a device called “Tethys.”
The device is made of carbon nanotubes that detect the presence of lead when dipped in water. The results are then sent directly to a smartphone using an app that Rao also created. She was named 2017s Top Young Scientist from the Young Scientist Lab and a whopping $25,000 award for her invention.
Believe it or not, Rao isn’t the only child on this list.
ALEXIA BRAVO (11 years old)
Alexia Bravo is even younger than Gitanjali Roa. At only 11-years-old, Bravo just may be creating an entirely new way to power the planet using renewable energy.
She recently presented a device she created at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting. She was BY FAR the youngest presenter there.
The prototype technology can capture energy from the ocean’s waves, as well as solar energy from the sun. It’s an all-in-one device that could wean us off fossil fuels forever.
PUERTO RICAN POSTAL SERVICE WORKERS
After one of the hurricanes ravaged Puerto Rico, some unexpected heroes took it upon themselves to help in whatever way they could. The local postal workers there came through in a big way, and they still do as, sadly, most of Puerto Rico remains in the dark.
They delivered medicines to the elderly and infirm on their routes, often going out of their way to do so. They constantly check in on the people along their routes, helping them however they can. Most places don’t have hospitals so the postal workers are alerting FEMA when someone on their route falls ill.
MUSTAFA ALI
Mustafa Ali used to work for the Environmental Protection Agency, so he was already a warrior for the environment. He makes this list, however, for a very different reason.
Although he was one of the people who launched the Environmental Protection Agency, he took his leave after Trump took office and placed Scott Pruitt as head of the EPA. Ali knew what he was in for and decided it was time to take his leave.
Then Ali started the Hip Hop Caucus. Now, instead of working for to help Pruitt destroy the EPA, he is spreading the word about climate change using famous Hip Hop artists like Jay-Z and Common. The hope is that when young people see their favorite artists speaking about climate change, they will start to listen.
NEVER LOSE HOPE
It’s easy to lose hope in today’s political arena concerning climate change. Indeed, it’s nearly impossible. However, as you can easily see here, there are heroes out there doing the work regardless of how hard the government tries to push back.
Feature Image via Pixabay.
