8 AAPI Climate Voices to Follow

In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month during the month of May, we’re highlighting just a few of the many amazing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) climate advocates. These activists, writers, and organizers fight tirelessly for our planet and against climate change. Here are 8 inspiring climate voices to follow:

1. Aditi Mayer

Aditi is a visual storyteller and sustainability activist. Through mediums such as film, photography, journalism, and social media content, Aditi examines the fashion industry through a lens of environmental justice and advocates for sustainable fashion. Her work has been featured in a wide range of publications, including Vogue, Forbes, The Guardian, and Refinery29. Follow her on Instagram @aditimayer, or check out some of her work on her website aditimayer.com. 

2. Hiroko Tabuchi 

Hiroko is an investigative climate reporter for the New York Times and a native of Kobe, Japan. Throughout her 15 years with the New York Times, she has covered topics such as gas stove pollution, plastic waste, home composting, “vegan leather” products, countries’ emissions goals, and the corporate influence on climate policymaking. Her new beat will focus on pollution and environmental costs, “helping readers understand environmental effects and tradeoffs, particularly as humanity tries to pivot away from fossil fuel use.” Follow her on Twitter @HirokoTabuchi, and read her work in the New York Times here. 

3. Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner 

Kathy is a climate activist and poet from the Marshall Islands. She is the co-founder and director of Jo-Jikum, an organization that supports Marshallese youth in taking action on climate change and other environmental issues. She was named one of Vogue’s 13 Climate Warriors and the 2017 Impact Hero of the Year by Earth Company. In 2014, she performed an inspirational poem at the opening ceremony of the United Nations Climate Summit, and in 2017, she published a book of poetry called IEP Jaltok: Poems from a Marshallese Daughter. Follow her on Twitter @kathykijiner or on Instagram @kathyjkijiner, and watch videos of her poems on her website kathyjetnilkijiner.com. 

Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner (via kathyjetnilkijiner.com)

4. Kevin J. Patel 

Kevin is a 23-year-old climate activist and a first-generation Indian American. Growing up in Los Angeles, he first got involved in the climate movement when he experienced heart palpitations and researched the dangers of air pollution in his city. He is the founder and executive director of OneUpAction, an intersectional, youth-led organization that provides resources to help youth climate advocates fight climate change in their local communities. His work as an activist has been featured in publications such as Vox, the Los Angeles Times, and Men’s Health Magazine. Follow him on Twitter @imkevinjpatel or Instagram @imkevinjpatel. 

5. Kristy Drutman 

Kristy is a Filipina-American climate activist. She is the founder of Brown Girl Green, an online platform and podcast through which she seeks to educate people on topics related to environmental justice and sustainability. She is also the founder of the Green Jobs Board, which highlights job openings in sustainability, clean energy, and other climate-related roles. Follow Kristy on Instagram @browngirl_green and Twitter @browngirl_green, or subscribe to her YouTube channel @BrownGirlGreen. 

6. Miya Yoshitani

Miya is the former executive director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), an organization fighting for environmental, social, and economic justice, particularly for Asian immigrant and refugee communities. She has a long history in the environmental justice movement and currently serves on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC). She was a participant in the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in 1991, where she helped draft the 17 Principles of Environmental Justice, a defining document for the environmental justice movement. Follow her on Twitter @miya_yosh, or listen to her on the People’s Action podcast here. 

7. Nadia Nazar 

Nadia is a 21-year-old Indian-American artist and climate activist who uses art in the fight against climate change. She is a co-founder of Zero Hour, a youth-led intersectional climate justice organization. She was one of the lead organizers for the 2019 Climate Strikes in Washington DC. She has testified in Congress and spoken before the United Nations about climate change, and she was named one of People Magazine’s Top 25 Women Changing the World in 2018. Follow her on Twitter @nadiabaltimore or Instagram @nadianazar, or check out some of her work on her website nadianazar.com. 

8. Varshini Prakash 

Varshini is the co-founder and executive director of Sunrise Movement, a prominent climate organization that mobilizes young people to advocate for climate action. She was included on the 2019 Time 100 list, nominated by Governor Jay Inslee, and the 2018 Grist 50 list. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, New Yorker, Forbes, Vox, Vice, TeenVogue, BBC, and more. Follow her on Twitter @VarshPrakash.

At CleanChoice Energy, we envision a world free of catastrophic climate change for all. We are grateful for these 8 climate leaders and so many others who are working alongside us to make that vision a reality.

Top image featuring Miya Yoshitani is courtesy of APEN