Providence , Rhode Island
MISSION Zanagee Artis is one of a group of student activists helping to reshape climate policy . “ Youth organizers like me have ignited a global movement for climate justice because we know that the next decade is about ensuring a livable future on Earth . We are educating , rallying , storytelling , and lobbying for survival because we are out of time to address the climate crisis .”
IMPACT Artis has worked at the intersection of environmental justice and climate policy through Zero Hour , which he cofounded in 2017 . He organized the Zero Hour Youth Climate March in Washington , DC , in 2018 , and helped coordinate the marches globally . He is
coauthor of A Kids Book about Climate Change .
CLIMATE POLICY
Kisumu , Kenya
MISSION Increasingly , pollution and microplastics are choking Lake Victoria , one of Africa ’ s great bodies of water , and shutting down this economic engine for Kenya , Tanzania , and Uganda . Michelle Muchilwa and her brother , Jeremy , are committed to reversing the damage . “ In 50 years , I ’ ll be 66 and Jeremy will be 63 ,” Michelle says . “ I don ’ t want my grandchildren to grow up staring at a dead lake . We are going to be the catalysts for the radical change that needs to happen for Lake Victoria to survive .”
GOAL The siblings are creating an app to collect data on plastic pollution threatening the lake . Their project started with a citizen science initiative focused on Lake Victoria ’ s long struggle with declining fish stocks , attributable to overfishing , the introduction of invasive plant species , and the ongoing effects of climate change .
PLASTIC POLLUTION
PHOTOGRAPH OF ARTIS BY KRIS CHO
HP / INNOVATION / SUMMER 2021 23