Emma from SS4C seated at the bow of the Rainbow Warrior at dusk in Fremantle, 27 April 2023.

What is your name? Emma. I’m 16.

Where did you grow up? Margaret River – I love the ocean there, the trees and the community is really nice. I’m glad I live there.

Describe how you got involved in climate activism. When I was 13 or so we watched a David Attenborough documentary in class. It was called ‘A Life On Our Planet’ and there was a scene where he went through what would happen in 40 years if we did not meet our global 1.5 degree global warming target. Fires, floods, trees, no animals. This really really shocked me – so much doom and gloom. But then he started talking about solutions and I remember thinking they all seemed really easy. Really achievable, and they would make a much better world. So I struggled to understand why we weren’t doing any of those things, why our politicians kept ignoring the calls for change and continued leading us down an irreversible path towards an unsafe climate. That summer we had the 2020 bushfires. I was over east and saw the Hawkesbury covered in smoke and became increasingly frustrated by watching Scott Morrison, his inaction, and the way he ignored climate affected communities, the way he kept blocking and delaying climate justice. That’s when I started googling climate organisations and found School Strike 4 Climate. I learned about the Fund Our Future Not Gas campaign that SS4C was running. Scomo in the budget after the recession at that time was all “gas lead recovery” for the economy. I’m no economist but I knew that sounded like a terrible plan.

Do you have any particular anecdote or story about becoming an activist that you’d like to tell? Are there any special moments that stand out? The May 21st strike in 2021 was really crazy for me. I was 14 and had never done any community organising before. I helped to organise a Friday School Strike in the park. I remember going through permits and learning everything from scratch. But on the day, seeing friends and volunteers all turning up to the strike to stand together for climate justice, against dangerous gas was incredible. We’re just a small town but on that day it felt so powerful. It’s still one of my favourite moments. The community you make and meet through this work is so beautiful. Just hugging people and feeling lucky, so proud of this movement is one of my favourite things – there is so much love and support. Since then I’ve met some incredible mentors. Anybody that has worked at School Strike – graduated strikers and adults. I’ve learnt so much from them, and I’m so grateful.

What are you doing at SS4C? Describe how you got involved. Right now, locally we are in the process of conducting a survey to learn more about what people want to see in the Federal budget. Our Federal MP hasn’t really been very engaged with our community and listened or advocated for us. So we’re organising a big visual art installation of what our community wants to see in the Federal Budget so they won’t be able to miss it. This is in my electorate of Forrest.

Have you witnessed anything that makes you especially anxious about climate change?

Fires and seeing the impact it has on communities. When a fire happens it affects everyone. I’ve watched friends evacuate their whole lives. Politicians making big decisions that have big implications – new fossil fuel project approvals, like the process currently underway for Woodside’s Burrup Hub.

What gives you hope? The community in the climate movement and everyone I work with. Walking to be a proxy at Woodside’s shareholder meeting and seeing everyone there protesting, being so strong and staunch.  I am so proud of everyone I get to organise with,  seeing people everywhere, particularly my friends, organising things across the country to fight for climate justice makes me so hopeful – that we can build a better, more just future.

What do you know about Burrup Hub? I know its emissions will be 4 x times bigger than Adani – bigger than Australia’s national emissions combined with 6 x times Australia’s annual climate pollution. A lot of people have been outraged recently over the Willow project in America being approved – I watch their jaws drop when they find out that the Burrup Hub is 14 x times bigger in emissions than that. Burrup Hub’s climate change impacts have real and more tangible impacts on communities across the country. It has the potential to harm our oceans and reef, and damage First Nations’ Country. I love open water swimming and do this every weekend at Gnarabup and this alone is enough to make me angry. Imagine what it feels like to have your sacred spaces threatened or destroyed?

What would you like to say to Woodside ahead of the Paddle Out?

To Meg O’Neil – how do you stand there looking so poker-faced knowing your decisions are going to do so much damage to my generation and everyone in the future? You keep saying phrases like ‘offsetting emissions’ knowing full well the impact it will have. I want to believe your empty promises, so very much, but I have no trust in your words. You throw words around like confetti, but I don’t think you know that these words you throw around mean so much, that they matter. I expect better from you because it means so much to young people like me – you are playing with my future. Burrup Hub is risking everything – our country, our futures, our hopes of having a safe climate

Greenpeace and community paddle out in Fremantle, Western Australia for #WhalesnotWoodside. credit line: © Michael Lutman / Greenpeace

What will you do when you leave school? I thought about environmental law or environmental science for a while there but I am not sure I want to work in environmental law. I am in Year 11 now so it’s something I’m actively thinking about. I know I want to keep organising when I leave school. Where I find joy is organising and fighting for a better future. 

Was your mum a big influence in your life? In some ways yeah. In the early and late 90s she lived in Northcliffe – a tiny town kind of on the way to Albany. She used to go there and do sit-ins in trees. It was the start of the decades-long fight to save Western Australia’s old growth forests. She wasn’t in that movement for the longest time or necessarily the most active member, but I recall her telling me about a forest called Boorara. She lived in a house on her friend Wally’s property, he is a farmer, and the state government had decided to log trees on his property. In her room there is a photo of one of the huge trees in Boorara.

What advice do you have for other young people like yourself who may want to get involved in the climate movement but aren’t sure where to start? Just start! Getting involved with the climate movement is one of the best things I’ve ever done! Something that I was told growing up was you can’t complain about something if you are being passive, not doing anything to fix it, and I think you can apply this to the climate crisis! If you are frustrated by government inaction or scared for the future, transfer that into action! There are loads of great climate orgs in Australia to get involved with, and they all have the most lovely people who will support you in getting involved.

Some that I recommend,

1. School Strike for Climate (SS4C)
2. Greenpeace
3. The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC)
4. Tomorrow Movement 

They all do different amazing things. There’s also so many local organisations who you can get involved with – your local environment centre, a local environmental campaign! I went into organising with no support or knowledge other than what my mum had shared with me about how she used to blockade forests, it was a good experience to learn through doing things. Nannas for Native Forests are amazing – nannas going to sit on equipment and lock on! They are a community group that has helped me so much! 

If the nannas can do it – so can you!

Does news about the climate crisis seem to take a particularly heavy toll on your mental health? Then hi, welcome! You’re not alone. In fact, you actually join a not-so-exclusive club of almost half of all Australians.

According to a recent national poll conducted by the Climate Council, more than half (51%) of Aussies are “very worried” or “fairly worried” about climate change and extreme weather events in Australia.

It probably means that you or your loved ones have been directly impacted by climate change-fuelled disaster(s) in the past, or, like most other climate activists or climate-alarmed folk, you’re an empath who feels things deeply. IYKYK.

So if you’re reading this (firstly) kudos to you, fellow empath, for being exactly who you are! We think you are amazing. Have you tried harnessing that superpower into positive change for our planet yet? If not, here are eight steps to get you started:

Step One: Empower yourself

Let go of what you cannot control and take charge of what you can. Take a break and find activities that ground you again.

Segregating waste, utilising more public transport, reducing the use of single-use plastics in your life, installing a solar power grid at home, carrying out rainwater harvesting, and growing your own garden or just one indoor plant (bonus points if you can harvest some tasty fruits, herbs, or veggies!) are all ways to play your part – and bring you back to nature at the same time. Win-win!

Step Two: Get (and stay) inspired
Even superheroes need to refuel from time to time. So don’t forget to tailor your feed to include funny animal videos (trust us), and positive news stories and content. Some other great follows over on the ‘Gram include @jessharwoodart @sarah_lazarovic @futureearth and @gogreensavegreen

As far as podcasts go, “turn your climate anxiety into climate action”- the tagline of Greenpeace podcast Heaps Better says it all. Listen to learn more about how we can all become better planet savers!

And if inspirational, life-changing stories (with a happy ending) are what you need, head over to A Slight Change of Plans, a podcast by Dr. Maya Shankar. Dr. Shankar’s guests talk about the crossroads they faced in life and how they overcame them to come out better and brighter at the end of the tunnel.

Step Three: Connect IRL with other superheroes

Climate March in 2019 on Gadigal land, Sydney

Not all superheroes wear capes. And you’re likely to find a fellow hero for climate action right next to you at your next local climate rally, you can join your nearest Greenpeace Volunteer Hub, or even head to a local book club that is an ideal space to read and discuss new ideas with like-minded friends.

Whether it be rallying, reading cli-fi or self-help books, connecting and discussing your thoughts with others is a great way to declutter your thoughts and ease your mind.

Step Four: Talk it out with loved ones
Climate anxiety is real, and sometimes it can become a very heavy weight to bear – even for the strongest of superheroes. Never be afraid to reach out to trusted loved ones (or medical professional) when you need some extra support. 

Step Five: Help empower your elected representatives
Pick up the phone (or jump into your emails if you’d prefer) and give your elected representatives or candidates a (superhero) earful about the changes you want to see.

Step Six: Just be in nature from time to time

Go for a walk, head to the beach (or even your local pool!) or take a hike over the weekend, spend your next free afternoon in an observatory park or local conservation centre – or even just drink your morning tea or coffee outside next time!

Disconnecting from your screen is one of the quickest ways for any nature-loved like yourself to unwind from the busy world we all live in. 

Step Seven: Listen and learn from the Traditional Custodians of the land
As Waanyi nation member and award-winning author, Alexis Wright once said, “We say we have been here since time immemorial, and we understand that our resilience is intrinsically linked with the stories that tell of the ongoing, regenerative cycles of the world in which we live.”

Taking positive action to help heal our planet, cannot be done without being an ally (year-round) to the Traditional Custodians of the land.

Whether that means spending time to learn about and take care of the Country you are living on, or using your voice (and privilege) to fight for change, take the time to listen and learn from First Nations people. 

Step Eight: Join our community

Volunteers onboard the iconic Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior during the first leg of its Making Oil History tour to draw attention to the threat posed by oil drilling to the Great Australian Bight in 2018.

We believe in the power (or should we say superpower) of many. And the strength of our work depends on the thousands of people who put their beliefs into action.

So why not get involved and join our crew to help give our planet the voice it deserves. Our team of volunteers help make the impossible, possible!

As the world starts to go back to offline, the world of online organising is here to stay! Running a grassroots campaign or starting a movement online can be intimidating, but there are so many great tools available to help you get started. Here are our top picks from the world of online grassroots activism. Not only are these platforms all entirely FREE, they’re easy to use and they’re all for promoting responsible grassroots activism!

Fundraising

Chuffed

Chuffed is an incredible online crowdfunding site – with a twist! Unlike some other crowdfunding sites, Chuffed is aimed specifically at supporting change-makers, providing a platform for nonprofits, charities, social enterprises, community groups and individuals to make a positive difference in the world! Chuffed allows you to fundraise through crowdfunding, but also has a new peer-to-peer fundraising feature that allows other people to join your fundraising team and fundraise with you!

Chuffed is also a Social Benefit Company, which means that they operate for the benefit of the community, taking social, environmental and community impacts into all of their decision making!

Features: crowdfunding, peer-to-peer fundraising, offer perks to your donors, customise different ‘impact levels’ for different donation sizes, branded email receipts, email journeys for donors.

Communications

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is an online marketing platform BUT it has a free version that’s pretty great for sending out emails to your members and supporters. It has some great tools that let you make some very schmick looking emails so you can keep your members updated on all the latest events, meetings, campaigns and related news in style!

Features: email up to 2,000 contacts, send out up to 10,000 emails per month, access to loads of pretty dope email templates, create automated welcome emails.

Petitions

Change.org may be the most popular place online to create petitions, however there has been recent controversy over their status as a for-profit company and how those profits are used. Thankfully, there are some great alternatives out there!

SumofUs Community Petitions

SumofUs is a non-profit organisation that is committed to holding corporations accountable on issues ranging from worker’s rights, to climate change, human rights to animal rights, and more!

BUT they also have an online community portal where you can create your own petition to tackle issues you care about and hold corporations, businesses, governments and decision makers to account! The platform is super easy to use and allows you to download the list of signatures so you can deliver the petition!

Features: create your own petitions, download signatures, share your petition with the world!

Online Events

Zoom

You may have already heard of this one. In fact, it’s probably impossible that you haven’t if you’ve lived through the joys of working and volunteering online in 2020! As much as you may have come to loathe zoom calls, it’s an incredible tool for online organising. Zoom is super useful for online meetings and events. While the free version does have a 40 minute call limit, you can always get around that by scheduling multiple meetings one after the other.

Features: break out rooms for smaller discussions, screen sharing (for presentations and movie nights!), whiteboard tool, record meetings, and of course, the ever hilarious zoom backgrounds feature.

All-in-One Platforms

These sites are the all-rounders of the world of online-activism, the swiss-army knives if you will – they have all the tools, tools you never even knew you needed, but don’t know how you could ever have lived without!

Action Network

Action Network is a non-profit, free to use platform that provides all the tools you could ever want or need to organise online! Action Network is all about supporting progressive causes and responsible activism and that’s why we’re obsessed.

There are too many awesome features on this platform to mention them all so here are just a few of our personal favourites.

Features: create events (both online and offline!), create petitions, send emails and texts to your supporters, create automated campaign journeys, letter writing campaigns, call campaigns, create fundraisers, keep track of your members.

Stay Connected

Slack

While Facebook groups are often the go-to place for online community engagement and organising, there are better alternatives that offer a range of features to better engage and connect with your community. This is especially true of those wishing to get themselves off Facebook. Slack is a particularly strong contender. With a free version available to anyone, and both a desktop and mobile app version, it’s the perfect platform for organising and staying connected in the digital age!

Features: connect it up with your calendar app, as well as zoom or google applications, control over notifications so you can tune out in your down time, direct messaging, ‘channels’ for communications with big groups of people so everyone can stay in the loop!

Now you have all the tools in your activist utility belt to tackle all the issues! Go forth and activate your community!

“I am somebody. You are somebody. And together we are powerful! We can be the change that’s needed, to create the world we want to live in.”

My name is Sanja. I moved to the Geelong region from suburban Melbourne. I wanted to walk on beautiful beaches, breathe fresh air and watch birds migrate over the wetlands. I wanted to meet people who also appreciated and respected the nature we are blessed with. People like all of us.

Since I moved here, large parts of the coast have washed away while the wetlands have become largely dry. My neighbours have had their houses repeatedly flooded by unprecedented rainfall events or damaged by violent storms as extreme weather becomes the new normal. 

After the 2019 Federal Election, I felt despair as I saw our politicians reject action on the climate crisis we’re experiencing right now. I didn’t know who we could rely on to take a stand; to lift Australia out of our downward spiral.

I was inspired by actress Lily Tomlin’s words, “Somebody should do something about that. Then I realised I am somebody”.

So when I got the invite to come to the Break Free training in Geelong six weeks ago, I jumped at the opportunity. The photo above is of our Break Free Geelong group, at our training day 6 weeks ago.

As a community, we need to come together and show the council that we care; that we will do what it takes to rescue our beautiful beaches, wetlands, our farms, and our homes.

P.S. In Australia alone, 34 local governments have formally recognised the climate emergency, representing more than 3.5 million people. Places like Mornington Peninsula, Noosa, Sydney, Melbourne and Ballarat have all stepped up. We’re acting locally, but are part of a movement that’s so much bigger. 

Written by Sanja from the Break Free Geelong group

My name is Naia and I am a student from Wollongong. I’m asking for support for our local campaign for our council, Wollongong, to declare a climate emergency and move all council operations to 100% renewable. 

For a long time, I felt helpless to the changes I saw around me; coral bleaching, species going extinct, peoples’ homes being destroyed by ever-intensifying extreme weather. I struggled to see how I could fulfill my life dreams of travelling and having a job, home and family of my own in a world due to expire within my lifetime.

But I was empowered to act on climate change when I realised the power ordinary people hold to make change. From there, Emma Watson’s paraphrased Hillel quote sums up my mentality best; “If not me, who? If not now, when?”

Councils do a lot of things here, like garbage collection and keeping the street lights on, and they employ heaps of people. And wouldn’t it be amazing if all of these things were powered by 100% renewable energy?

This movement is gathering momentum every day, and it’s inspiring to watch. You only have to turn on the news to know that a tide of local governments are lining up  to do what their federal governments refuse to do – to look a problem in the face and start taking meaningful action to fix it.

From Paris to Sydney, Auckland to Noosa, more than 160 million people are now represented by a local government that has stepped up and called the climate emergency for what it is, and many of them are also taking concrete steps to shift to 100% renewable energy. Just yesterday Launceston became the latest council to declare. I want Wollongong to be next!

Locals from Helensburgh to Dapto have signed our petition, and I’m working with others to build a local group so we can fight the climate crisis today, to ensure a brighter future tomorrow.

It’s up to us to seize this moment to make meaningful change, to demand our elected representatives tell the truth about the climate emergency and begin immediately moving away from coal.

We simply don’t have time to wait for them. And we are not. We will overcome the political and corporate system that enables and protects the fossil fuel industry, and transform it – with or without them. 

Together, we – the Australian people – are sounding the alarm from the ground up. Already the climate revolution has begun in our communities. Street by street, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, city by city. 

Let’s keep the wave of action going!

Writen by Naia, a member of the Break Free group in Wollongong

We live in a unique country. Australia has some of the most intriguing and fascinating species on the planet. Due to our geographic isolation, we have an enormous amount of species that are found nowhere else on Earth. Today, however, many of our beloved native species are under attack from a variety of threats including deforestation, the introduction of foreign species such as the Cane Toads, urban encroachment, land degradation, soil salinity and hunting.

Extinction is not a new phenomenon in Australia. It has been occurring ever since the time of the Megafauna. More recent notable extinctions include the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger).

But due to the effects of climate change and other human caused environmental problems, this crisis has deepened in recent years and is impacting a variety of Australia’s ecosystems. We can see this in the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef threatening our marine life. The recent approval of the Adani coal mine spells even more disaster for biodiversity. Meanwhile, the rampant clearing of native bushland reducing the habitat size of many rare and endangered marsupials, reptiles, birds and plant. 

Australia has some policies of preserving native species in place, but government funding for conservation programs has declined significantly. As a result these programs often fall short of meeting their requirements in preserving Australia’s unique biodiversity. Another major flaw is that these are mainly regulated by the State and Territory governments, which means that the effectiveness of conservation varies a lot in different parts of the country. We need a National plan to counter the extinction crisis and save our wildlife before it is too late.

Hope is not yet lost. Awareness of climate change, the extinction crisis, and the connection between the two is spreading throughout Australia. More and more local councils are declaring climate emergencies and putting more pressure on the Morrison government to act on climate change. People from all walks of life are raising awareness about the current situation and many are joining the Break Free campaign at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.

JOIN THE BREAK FREE CAMPAIGN

There is a growing chorus of voices calling for meaningful action on the climate and extinction crises. Together as one we can spread the message. It’s time for everyone to get involved. By joining this movement, you will be making your voice heard.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. Its not”  – Dr Suess

Written by Greenpeace volunteer, Tanmay Bhakta

We’re not going to sugar-coat it: this is a tough moment to be an environmental activist in Australia. Each of us have invested precious time and emotional energy, courageously persevering through grim existential warnings and infuriating headlines, only to have what we thought we’d already won snatched away. It’s been brutal, and if you’re feeling a little heartbroken right now, know that it’s justified.

Here’s the thing: our deep care for the world is a vulnerable act. While wholeheartedly living out our values is undoubtedly worthwhile, it can also leave us emotionally exposed when things go wrong. Coupled with the physical exhaustion of working long hours, it’s easy to see how activists can end up burnt out.

Why care is important:

The first step to self-care is to truly acknowledge its value. So know this:

• Self-care and collective care are vital to winning change. In order to have the sustained power we need to win the change we want, we need strong, resilient movements. Rest and recovery are vital to maintain energy and momentum.
• A culture of care is modelling the world we want to see. Marginalised groups are disproportionately impacted by the potential harms of activism work. When we proactively care for ourselves and each other, we’re creating a new culture that actually helps create the inclusive, compassionate world we’re working toward.
  
• Your wellbeing is important. Your quality of life matters. It just does.

Via Emm Roy

Burn-out warning signs:

Everyone’s different, but people who are burnt out may have some or all of these symptoms:

• Physical and/or emotional exhaustion: insomnia, anxiety, depression, forgetfulness, irritability, pain/sickness, fatigue.
• Cynicism and Detachment: loss of enjoyment, pessimism, isolation, numbness, detachment/disconnection, feelings of apathy and hopelessness.

Burnout is different from just having a bad day. You can distinguish burnout when a.) it’s persistent over time, b.) you experience it in more than more situation, or c.) if it’s a change from how you used to feel in similar situations.

Your care toolbox:

There are lots of self-care tips out there. Remember that what works for someone else may not work for you, and vice-versa. Try to identify what your need is and then tend to that need. Here are some ideas to trial:

Via Lisa Olivia Therapy 

Lastly, know that it’s ok not to be ok. Activism can be emotionally and physically exhausting, and finding it difficult is an entirely legitimate, understandable response. Sometimes just being ok with not feeling great and giving yourself permission to feel bad can take the edge off a painful feeling.

Seeking help:

If you feel like you may be experiencing burnout, a mental health issue, or are just in need of support, be sure to seek help from a professional such as a General Practitioner or Psychologist. If you or another person is in crisis right now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36, or emergency services on 000 any time of the day or night for immediate support.
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Today’s current debate over climate change can leave us feeling a little low. News of climate catastrophe is everywhere, and the devastation is not just environmental. Eco-anxiety is understandable when we see that our natural world is in crisis. After all, we are part of this Earth and its natural life, aren’t we?

Today’s current debate over climate change can leave us feeling a little low. News of climate catastrophe is everywhere, and the devastation is not just environmental. Eco-anxiety is understandable when we see that our natural world is in crisis. After all, we are part of this Earth and its natural life, aren’t we?

Our ecological reality is frightening because we know what is at stake. However, history is a powerful reminder of what we can do.  The current climate crisis won’t go down without a fight.

Here are ten heart-warming moments to remind you that hope is not lost, that the Earth is not beyond repair, and that we can and will save its magnificence.

1. This little guy in Tanjung Putting National Park

2. This. Just. This

(Credit: Markus Mathe / Greenpeace)

3. Two words….School Strikes 

(Credit: Eric De Mildt / Greenpeace)

4. All these people

(Bernd Arnold / Greenpeace)

5. This action?!

(Martin Katz / Greenpeace)

6. Look, this is pretty amazing 

7. Lil bobbing Angels!

8. BABY

9. Emma <3

(Credit: Will Rose / Greenpeace)

10. This is worth saving….

I didn’t imagine I’d be live streaming to millions of people around the world on Greenpeace’s social media channels when I first got involved with the Student Strikes for the Climate. But here I was with thousands of my fellow students from all over Melbourne, brought together by our fear of inaction on climate change and our hope that together we can make a change. I was one of dozens of students from all over the world who took over Greenpeace’s social media channels to highlight the crisis we are in and the movement for change.

My name is Oscar Alateras. I am a 16-year-old high school student currently attending Aquinas College in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. My dream is to become an environmental engineer where I will not only investigate environmental solutions, but put them into place as well. This is at least 7 or 8 years away, maybe even more, and current circumstances have made it quite obvious to me that I can not afford to wait until then to make a difference in the global battle against climate change. I must start now.

This is exactly what I have done. I have been a climate activist for roughly three years now. Many may ask, why climate change? Why is it this particular issue that I have chosen to act against? The answer to this question may vary from person to person, but for me, the answer is simple: passion. Now this passion didn’t just appear out of mid-air. There were specific events that allowed me to discover it.

I was in Year 7, and my class was shown the environmental documentary ‘Before The Flood’ by Leonardo Di Caprio. After seeing this, it made me realise that if a man as busy as Di Caprio took the time to film a documentary aimed to raise awareness for climate change, then it must be an important issue. Subsequent to this, I started to spend hours researching about climate change, as prior to the documentary, I had no idea that climate change was even a thing. It didn’t take me long to realise the full picture of what was going on: to realise that were in a global existential crisis. If I am being completely honest, all the alarming statistics and data put fear right into my heart, as I was afraid for the security of my future. I knew it was in danger, and that unfortunately, past generations, the main contributors of climate change, were not willing to make up for their mistakes and save my future. Instead, they were too proud, too selfish to admit they were wrong and chose to ignore the issue even though deep down in their conscience they knew they were putting billions of futures such as mine on the line. This feeling of pure fear coupled with the fact that I didn’t want others to suffer from this crisis motivated me to take action: it motivated me to take my future into my own hands and encourage other young people to do the same.

I started with making small sustainable changes to my lifestyle to reduce my carbon footprint; but it didn’t take me long until I realised I needed to do more: the planet needed me to do more. That is when I decided to write a book (The Truth about our world) about climate change to raise awareness, as in order to be in the best position to tackle an issue, we must be educated and have the ability to fully comprehend the ‘entire,’ as this allows us to see the issue from every angle; giving us the best chance of tackling it. Writing has always been a passion for me and I found that it was an effective way to act against climate change, so after publishing the book, I decided to continue on with my passion of writing for climate change and started an active blog full of frequent posts about different aspects of climate change – particularly the hard truths that others were too afraid to talk about. Just like the book, this was an excellent way to raise awareness for climate change and educate others, but once again, I realised it wasn’t enough; so alongside the blog, I decided to do more.

This is when I started to volunteer my time to different organisations who shared my passion for climate activism. At first, I got involved with the Greens here in Melbourne – I knew that politics and government was an important space to make the change I want to see. Being involved in  The Greens has helped me learn more about Australia’s complex political system and the many barriers to climate change action.

In January of 2019, I attended a two day Summer Training Summit run by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC). From this experience, many opportunities opened up. Not only did I learn new things about the vast issue that is climate change, but I was given the change to become more involved in the School Strike 4 Climate movement in Australia. I began taking days off school to strike in front of Parliament steps, demanding action from my political leaders.

I didn’t stop there, I wanted to do more and become further involved in the big national March 15 Strike. I believed that building partnership was an important part of growing the movement; which is exactly what I decided to do. I, along with many other wonderful people, worked together to build partnerships between School Strike 4 Climate and unions, MP’s, universities and political parties. This had an amazing effect as it grew more support for the movement, which gave it more power, giving it the ability to influence others for the good of our planet. It was truly inspiring to see our hard work pay off with the 50,000 Melbourne strikers that came out on March 15th.

Subsequent to the strike, alongside my blog and volunteering for The Greens, I have joined another AYCC program known as the Student Leadership Program (SLP), as well as working with thousands of other Australians around the country to make this upcoming election a ‘Climate Election.’ (More information on the program can be found here: https://www.aycc.org.au/student_climate_leadership_program)

SLP has been such an amazing learning experience. I am halfway through the program and I have already gained so many new skills. The central aim of SLP is to educate members about climate science, politics and the skills needed to create a social movement and influence change. From this, I have learnt the best ways to act against an issue such as climate change and the strategies I can use to make my actions as effective as possible.

My story is a simple one. There is nothing complex about it. I am just a young boy who is scared about his future and is choosing not to be trapped in the darkest surrounding climate change, but see the light at the end of the tunnel; working hard each and every day to get there. The only answer, for all of us, is to start. And to start today.

– Oscar

As we were reflecting on all of the incredible rallies, protests and actions from our people-powered movement over the past few years, we  happened upon a heartwarming trend: we have a sizeable number of furry friends in our ranks!

From Dachshunds to Dalmatians, pups of all sizes and breeds having been showing up, tails wagging, to remind us that it doesn’t matter how loud your bark, but that you bark at all that counts. For your bark is just one among many!

Naturally, we wanted to celebrate our canine crew and their #PupPower by creating a curated selection of Greenpeace puptivists from over the years.

Photo credit: Chris Grodotzki / Greenpeace

Dreaming of a winter wonderland, this polar pooch  told Shell to keep their paws and drills off the Arctic!

Photo credit: Greenpeace / Christian Åslund

This Sami puptivist showed us that size is inconsequential when defending the Arctic from Oil Exploration. The floofier the better!

Photo Credit: Greenpeace / Tim Aubry

This Good Boy could be on the next cover of Vogue with that irresistible, over-the-shoulder pout. Instead, he put his modelling skills to work to tell Shell to back off. “Woof” indeed!

Photo credit: Pierre Gleizes / Greenpeace

“Merci beaucoup” to this colourful canine, leading the charge to tell Nuclear to go fetch! *oui oui, woof woof*

Photo credit: Amy Scaife / Greenpeace

This guy takes Park Pride very seriously. Don’t let him catch you littering in his local green-space, cause he’s got his eyes, nose and ears on you. #caninecleanup

Photo credit: Amy Scaife / Greenpeace

That raised eyebrow says “Excuse me, is this yours??” (we’re looking at you Coca Cola)

Photo credit: Amanda J. Mason / Greenpeace

Raise your paws in app-paws for this Politically Active Pupper #wheatensagainstwalls

Photo credit: Mankica Kranjec / Greenpeace

You must be barking mad if this doggo can’t convince you to Break Free from polluting fossil fuels

Photo credit: Zsuzsi Dorgo

This little sausage roll showed us that it’s not the size of your bark, but how you use it that’s important. Howl for Civil Rights anyone?

Photo credit: Júlia Mente / Greenpeace

Ruff for rainforest preservation! #dogsagainstdeforestation

Photo credit: Greenpeace / Genevieve French

The only POSitive from the NEG was seeing this power-ful pupper raising her “ruff” for renewables (and the fact that you all got this dirty power plan thrown out!) #ruffruffforrenewables #savesolar

Photo credit: Jonne Sippola / Greenpeace

This border collie is part of a very different border, helping to paw a red line against railroads to the Arctic #paintthetownred

Photo credit: Greenpeace

What’s better than an adorable pup?? How about an even more adorable PAP! All you supermarkets producing #pointlessplastic better listen up to this conscious canine.

Photo credit: Bence Jardany / Greenpeace

Look at this Husky do the hustle for a legislated plastic bag ban in Hungary! The idea of a bag-ban makes us want to boogie too… #prancingwiththestars

Photo credit: Greenpeace

Read it and weep, Oreo. This doggo wants you to keep your paws off palm oil. #dropdirtypalmoil

Photo credit: Sarah Pannell / Greenpeace

Surf’s up for this little guy! Surfboard in paw, and ready to take on Big Oil in the Fight for the Great Australian Bight. Bow-wow Big Oil…bow-wow.

So there you have it! Our round up of environmentally conscious canines from around the world, getting their paws dirty and making their barks heard in the fight for a cleaner, greener planet. Pet Activists of the World, we howl in your honour *awoooo*