At Woodwell Climate, we invest in our planet each and every day to create a more healthy, equitable, and sustainable world.
But, we talk about our work all the time, and many members of our broader community are deeply invested in climate action in their own ways. For Earth Day this year, we wanted to bring you the voices of some of those community members who are taking their own approach to climate action. Their unique and compelling stories are a reminder that there’s no one-size-fits-all way to invest in our planet.
Scroll down to hear 4 members of the Woodwell Climate community describe how they #InvestInOurPlanet, why climate action is important to them, and where they see climate change in the places they love. (or, use the links below to jump down the page)
- Mina Subramanian, Head of Spring Forward Climate Education
- Dominic Lentini, SOTF Community Scientist
- Dr. Manuela Machado, Woodwell Climate Postdoctoral Researcher
- Stephanie Tomasky, Woodwell Climate Board Member
If you would like to make a gift to Woodwell Climate in honor of Earth Day,
Mina Subramanian, Head of Spring Forward Climate Education
Why is climate action important to you?
Climate action is important to me because we tend to think that only government officials can take climate action, but I want to empower youth to take initiative themselves. In my youth-led climate organization, Spring Forward, we emphasize that kids can have a big impact in their community—adults aren’t the only ones that can take meaningful action. At the end of each of our workshops, we always share a list of climate action ideas, ranging from taking public transportation to writing a letter to your local politician, to show kids that they have a voice in addressing climate change. Especially given that many of our leaders are putting climate change to the side and failing to follow through with their promises, I think it’s even more crucial for the younger generation to take climate change into their own hands and begin solving the climate crisis.
What is an environment/location you like to visit and how have you noticed climate change affecting it?
Although I’ve only been once, I’ve noticed the effects of climate change on Venice, Italy. I visited with my family in March 2017, thinking that it would be one of our last opportunities to visit before the city sank. Since then, I’ve read about extreme floods in 2019, the worst in 50 years, with 85% of the city submerged and some parts of the city under 6 feet of water. Just last month, I heard about the serious drought in Venice, with the canals having 61% less water and the city needing 50 days of rain to recover. This variation in extreme weather can be largely attributed to climate change, and these events will only get worse in coming years. Thus, I’m ever grateful to my parents for showing me the beauty of this city before it started suffering due to climate change.
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Dominic Lentini, Science on the Fly Community Scientist
Why is climate action important to you?
Our climate is changing rapidly and irreversibly. As outdoor recreators—or honestly, as people inhabiting this planet—it is our responsibility to take part in combating it. I firmly believe that despite the overwhelming nature of the problem, we cannot be apathetic. We ALL have to do at least some small thing to combat climate change. If we don’t, the Earth we know, love, and recreate on is going to change permanently. And if that’s not enough for you, think selfishly about it: how would your life be if you couldn’t go fishing any more because our rivers had warmed too much?
What is an environment/location you like to visit and how have you noticed climate change affecting it?
I think a better question would be what is a place I like and visit that I haven’t noticed climate change. Truthfully, I’ve noticed it everywhere. The river I live on, the Swift, holds fish for less and less of the season due to warming temperatures. The Connecticut and Androscoggin rivers get hotter and hotter each year, and have lower flows on average. As a result, the fish struggle, and the fishing season gets shorter. In general, summers are hotter and drier. Rain storms are extreme and destructive. It’s absolutely undeniable.
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Dr. Manoela Machado, Woodwell Climate Postdoctoral Researcher
Why is climate action important to you?
Climate change is happening whether we like it or not, so taking action to mitigate the negative impacts, including on human lives, means taking a strong and brave decision to do the right thing. We know that the negative impacts of climate change are not equally distributed across the planet, and that underprivileged people are often burdened with the consequences of richer regions’ decisions. Every one of us can make changes that positively impact the climate, and we can all use our voices to fight for climate justice.
What is an environment/location you like to visit and how have you noticed climate change affecting it?
A lot of my work is located in the Southern borders of the Amazon, a region known as the arc of deforestation. We know that climate change is strongly associated with human activities, which in this region means that replacing the forest for pastures creates a hotter and drier local climate. There, it’s really easy to feel the effect of climate change and be confronted with the human decisions that promote it.
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Stephanie Tomasky, Woodwell Climate Board Member
Why is climate action important to you?
Climate action is important to me because I want to protect our planet for future generations to come. We need to support organizations and entrepreneurs that are looking for solutions to slow the rate of climate change, or better yet, addressing damage already done and pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If we don’t act now the planet that we know today will be a very different place for future generations.
What is an environment/location you like to visit and how have you noticed climate change affecting it?
I live in Boulder, Colorado where I am fortunate to be able to run and hike in the mountains out my back door. Coming from Northern California, I thought that I had escaped the devastating forest fires that we now expect to happen every Fall, but came to find that they are a reality in Colorado as well as in California. More frightening is that the fire season is now year round. We have been evacuated and have had numerous scares in the 7 years that we have lived in Colorado. We count ourselves among the lucky but we know that our climate is changing at a rapid pace—longer summers, dryer winters, less water and more fires.
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