Global Young Women Climate Activists Featured in "CLimate Girls Saving Our World"

I interviewed over 50 girls and young women from 30 countries to share their efforts to save our planet from environmental destruction. You’ll learn about their activist tactics and personal stories as they shape the future. You’ll discover regional issues and understand Generation Z. The activists represent every inhabited continent and give first-person accounts. i interviewed them because girls are leading the climate movement and are courageously dedicated to stop climate change and destruction of our environment—the most important issue of our time. What tactics do you think are most effective now?

 ““Climate Girls Saving Our World” by Gayle Kimball is available as an affordable print and e-book. The book includes climate change facts and lists solutions.

Many of our activists observed that young climate activists tend to be outsiders, not content with the status quo. Many of the activists also consider themselves out of the mainstream of their peers, such as being homeschooled, LGBTQI, in drama groups, on the autism spectrum, dyeing their hair bright colors, not elected school leaders or “popular,” etc. Grace (US) observes, “I think this movement attracts people seen to be on the outside. If you’re already having issues about your right to be who you are, that might mean you have a strong sense of justice and interest in fighting for causes.” Kallan (US) thinks, “Climate activism is self-selecting for youth who are driven to act on their passion, so you're not going to be getting the average kid. It's a maturity issue and it's also their families.” Patsy (Australia) said, “I’ve noticed that a lot of people in the movement around the world feel slightly on the outside. Maybe they haven't felt that they would be included or that if they applied for a leadership role that they would get it; here they don't need to ask.” Sophia (Sweden) thinks, “It's a lot easier for people who already have a difficult time fitting in with society, like females who still don’t have completely equal rights and people with autism. I think 90% of us in the organizing groups are on the spectrum in different ways.”

Readers noted, "Several gendered beliefs emerged from the response to why there were more girls and women active in climate activism than boys and men: girls’ perceptions that boys were more worried about their peers’ perspectives and being “cool;” biologically essentialist arguments that girls and women are naturally more nurturing; girls and women are socialized to be more caring; or that they are more affected by climate change because of the work they do in the world as caregivers to land, people, and animals. We found the pattern of responses to the question of being a feminist quite striking as so many responded, “Of course I’m a feminist!”