Childhood friends Erika and Kayla actively championed river health in their hometown. Through the Youth Tribal Council and a Salmon Run Relay, they raised awareness about the declining Klamath and Trinity rivers. Excessive water diversion for agriculture, requiring dams and heavy irrigation, had severely depleted water tables and fish populations like salmon, sturgeon, and trout.

The Salmon Run Relay, mimicking salmon migration, also educated the community on native diet and culture, featuring a ceremony based on Yurok, Hupa, and Karuk traditions. Erika and Kayla further organized town hall meetings and distributed pamphlets, aiming to unite cultures, promote health, and encourage political engagement for river conservation.

Inspired by a 2004 Wall Street Journal article on the E-Waste crisis, Alex launched Project WIN '05 with his Westerly Innovations Network team. This initiative achieved significant local impact, collecting 21,000 pounds of E-Waste and establishing a permanent town receptacle that has gathered over 60,000 pounds. Project WIN '05 also helped enact local and statewide E-Waste dumping bans.

Alex further integrated computer refurbishing into his school's curriculum, restoring and distributing 260 computers to students locally and in Sri Lanka and Mexico. His recent work includes building an Internet café in Cameroon, developing a UN Environment Program pilot for international youth, and launching a "Bridging Divides" program with U.S. businesses and schools.

Q'orianka, a Peruvian-descended filmmaker and actress, champions human rights and environmental justice. She drew attention to Occidental Petroleum's discharge of 800,000 barrels of toxic wastewater, laden with contaminants like cyanide and lead, into the Corrientes river basin in the Peruvian Amazon. This pollution severely impacts the Achuar and other indigenous communities, who rely on the river and have faced conflict for 35 years.

During a film promotion trip, Q'orianka leveraged her media presence for the Achuar's plight. She invited indigenous leaders to a red carpet event, toured affected areas, interviewed residents for a documentary, collaborated with Amazon Watch, and urged oil company representatives to visit the impacted region.

C40's Women4Climate initiative empowers women to lead climate action. Through a global mentorship program and leadership events in C40 cities, it aims to foster new thinking and momentum among future leaders.

Women, who comprise over half the world's population, are often disproportionately impacted by climate change but lack representation in decision-making. Enhancing their participation and leadership is crucial for a healthy, prosperous, and sustainable future for all.

Shannon Lisa delivered a speech at the 2019 Brower Youth Awards.

The event took place on October 15 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.

The 2019 Brower Youth Awards were held on October 15 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. This annual event recognizes outstanding young environmental leaders.

A key moment of the ceremony was a powerful speech delivered by Lia Harel. Her address highlighted critical environmental issues and the vital role of youth in driving change.

Mackenzie Feldman delivered a speech at the 2019 Brower Youth Awards. This significant event, recognizing emerging environmental leaders, took place in San Francisco.

Her address was given on October 15 at the Herbst Theatre, a prominent venue for the awards ceremony.

Isha Clarke delivered a compelling speech at the 2019 Brower Youth Awards.

The prestigious event was held on October 15 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.

Her address captivated the audience, highlighting important themes relevant to youth activism.

Tammy Ramos delivered a speech at the 2019 Brower Youth Awards.

The event took place on October 15 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.

Isra Hirsi delivered a significant speech at the 2019 Brower Youth Awards. The event took place on October 15 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.

Hirsi, a recognized youth climate activist, addressed attendees during the awards ceremony, which celebrates young environmental leaders.

News media must address climate change with urgency. Over 150 outlets, partnering with Columbia Journalism Review and The Nation, dedicated a week (September 16-23) to reporting on humanity's devastating impact on the planet.

Teenage climate activist Alexandria Villaseñor shares her perspective within this initiative. Explore CJR's full series: https://www.cjr.org/covering_climate_now/

This video is part of "Seeding the Field: 30 Years of Transformative Solutions," celebrating three decades of Bioneers conference highlights. Founders Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons curated the keynotes. We extend our gratitude to the Bioneers organization, its staff, partners, and community. Learn more about Youth Leadership here.

Video Credits: Directed by Maximilian DeArmon, Edited by Brandon Pinard, Sound Mix by Stephanie Welch. Produced by Maximilian DeArmon and Theo Badashi for Cosmogenesis Media Group. Photo Credits: "Greta Thunberg" by Anders Hellberg of Effekt magazine.

Mishka, a 17-year-old from Utah, co-founded Utah Youth Environmental Solutions and helped craft the Utah Climate Resolution—the first of its kind in a traditionally conservative state. She also organized the 2016 Utah People’s Climate March.

Her work focuses on empowering youth to hold statewide organizations accountable for climate change and building Utah's youth climate movement. As a Pakistani Muslim American, Mishka also strives to build bridges and empower Muslim youth and students of color in the state.

Rose, a 17-year-old Indigenous organizer from the Isanti Dakota and Ho-Chunk Nations, actively opposes the Line 3 Pipeline in Minnesota. This proposed pipeline threatens Indigenous territories and the way of life for the Anishinaabe and Dakota people.

Rose speaks publicly at schools and organizes local events to raise awareness about the pipeline's dangers. She is also a Youth Climate intervenor, one of 13 who gained legal status in the Line 3 permitting process. Her activism extends beyond Minnesota, notably including the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock.

Stephen, 22, from Pennsylvania, is co-founder and National Field Director of Sunrise Movement. This organization mobilizes young people nationwide to combat the influence of fossil fuel executives and lobbyists, empowering them to elect leaders who will address climate change and create green jobs.

He organized the 'Sunrise Semester,' a fellowship program that engaged 70 young people in five key states for the 2018 elections. This initiative combined campaigning for progressive candidates with direct action to expose fossil fuel money. Stephen's organizing journey began at Swarthmore College, where he led a widely publicized fossil fuel divestment campaign.

Jade, an 18-year-old from North Carolina, is actively combating Colony Collapse Disorder and promoting bee conservation. Through her Pollinator Initiative, she establishes apiaries and pollinator parks in local schools, aiming to replicate her successful high school model across the area.

She has secured grant funding and organized students to become certified beekeepers with local support. Since April 2017, bees introduced to the White Oak area have been maintained pesticide-free. Jade's efforts highlight the importance of honey bees in the ecosystem and educate students about declining bee populations and beekeepers.

Tina, a 21-year-old from New Brunswick, is a prominent student climate activist. She organizes a nationally recognized fossil fuel divestment campaign at Mount Allison University and serves on the steering committee for RISE 2019, a national climate convergence focused on training young people in direct action and anti-oppressive organizing.

Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25 by Starfish Canada, Tina also acts as interim Coordinator for the Canadian Youth Delegation (CYD). She previously represented CYD at UN climate change negotiations (COP 22 and COP 23), advocating for Canadian government accountability on climate justice and the Paris Agreement.

Valeree, a UCLA senior, co-founded the Environmentalists of Color Collective (EOCC) to challenge mainstream environmentalism and amplify the voices of communities of color. She is dedicated to fostering dialogues on environmental justice and racism, notably co-organizing a Climate Justice Forum that launched EOCC's work.

As a Carbon Neutrality Initiative Fellow for the University of California, Valeree engages students in the UC system's goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. She aims to integrate sustainability and environmental justice values into corporate systems.

"A girl is worth nothing. That is what I was told for 17 years of my life. It was hard for me to accept, and even harder for me to ignore." These powerful words from Lesly Goh, Chief Technology Officer of the World Bank, introduce how technology transformed her life and career path.

Previously the Financial Services Industry Lead for Microsoft Asia Pacific, Lesly is recognized as a leader in FinTech, Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain. She champions these technologies as a new frontier for disrupting traditional business models in financial services. Her insights were shared at a TEDx event. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx.

Everyone possesses unconscious bias, which can significantly influence how we treat others. Dr. Rehman Y. Abdulrehman, a consulting and clinical psychologist with LeadWithDiversity.com and founder of Clinic Psychology Manitoba, explores this topic. He also holds academic positions at the University of Manitoba and in Zanzibar.

This discussion was presented at an independently organized TEDx event. For more information, visit https://www.ted.com/tedx.