Bradford and Tim

Clark

Ellen

Gerald and Lucy

Gracie

Karen and Barbara

Leilani

Peter

Ronnie

Sam and Otter

For the past two decades, Rania Batrice, a first-generation Palestinian, has worked as a Democratic operative and leader of progressive movements in the US and around the world. She lends her voice, story, and expertise through her work in crisis management as well as political, nonprofit, and legislative strategies. The boundary crossing work done by Rania is a great example of the type of work we will need to adapt and mitigate to the climate crisis.

, a first-generation Palestinian, has worked as a Democratic operative and leader of progressive movements in the US and around the world. She lends her voice, story, and expertise through her work in crisis management as well as political, nonprofit, and legislative strategies. The boundary crossing work done by Rania is a great example of the work we will need to adapt and mitigate to the climate crisis.

Rania Batrice

Brandon Dennison is the founder and CEO of Coalfield Development, which aims to rebuild the Appalachian Economy from the Ground Up. He works towards fostering resilient rural communities with socially, environmentally, and financially thriving economies which create the community conditions for all kinds of people to unlock their full potential, power, and purpose.

Brandon Dennison

Sarah Eagle Heart is an Emmy award-winning social justice storyteller and member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Sarah utilizes her experience growing up on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to share and translate Indigenous world views for collaboration, partnerships, and social justice impact.

 is an Emmy-winning social justice storyteller and member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Sarah utilizes her experience growing up on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to share and translate Indigenous world view for collaboration, partnerships, and social justice impact.

Sarah Eagle Heart

is a special education teacher turned environmental justice advocate who successfully stopped the construction of a US$1.25 billion plastics manufacturing plant alongside the Mississippi River in St. James Parish, Louisiana. Sharon Lavigne is an environmental justice activist in Louisiana focused on combating expanding industrial complexes in Cancer Alley. Lavigne mobilized grassroots opposition to the project, educated community members, and organized peaceful protests to defend her predominantly African American community.

Sharon Lavigne

Dr. Sarah Myhre is a climate scientist, environmental justice expert, and progressive organizer. As a fifth generation descendant of the violent colonial project of the American West, Dr. Myhre's professional and creative work is focused on reparation between the land, her people, and our shared history.

 is a climate scientist, environmental justice expert, and progressive organizer. As a fifth-generation descendant of the violent colonial project of the American West, Dr. Myhre's professional and creative work is focused on reparation between the land, her people, and our shared history.

Dr. Sarah Myhre

Tamara Toles O’Laughlin is an internationally recognized environmental advocate and climate strategist focused on people and the planet. She primarily develops high-impact programs and multimedia campaigns to dismantle privilege and increase opportunities for vulnerable populations to access healthy air, clean energy, and a toxic free economy at the local, regional and national level.

 is an internationally recognized environmental advocate and climate strategist focused on people and the planet. Her niche in environmental work is developing high-impact programs and multimedia campaigns to dismantle privilege and increase opportunities for vulnerable populations to access healthy air, clean energy, and a toxic-free economy at the local, regional and national level.

Tamara Toles O'Laughlin

Favianna Rodriguez is an interdisciplinary artist and social justice activist whose art and praxis addresses migration, gender justice, climate change, racial equity, and sexual freedom. Her practice boldly reshapes the myths, stories, and cultural practices of the present, while healing from the wounds of the past.

 is the founder and president of The Center for Cultural Power, a national artist-led organization, inspiring artists to imagine a world where power is distributed equitably and where we live in harmony with nature. She is an award-winning artist, cultural strategist, and social justice leader. Favianna’s art and praxis address migration, economic inequality, gender justice, and climate change, boldly reshaping the myths, ideas, and cultural practices of the present, while confronting the wounds of the past. Favianna is regarded as one of the leading thinkers and personalities uniting art, culture, and social impact. She is a recipient of the Robert Rauschenberg Artist as Activist Fellowship, the Atlantic Fellowship for Racial Equity, and the Soros Racial Equity Fellowship.

Favianna Rodriguez

Amy Westervelt is an award-winning investigative journalist and executive producer of the independent podcast production company Critical Frequency, which specializes in reported narrative podcasts. In addition to her investigative work for Rolling Stone, the Guardian, and NPR, Amy's investigative climate podcast 

was the first narrative climate podcast and is the most downloaded climate podcast.

 is an award-winning investigative journalist and executive producer of the independent podcast production company Critical Frequency, which specializes in reported narrative podcasts. In addition to her investigative work for 

and NPR, Amy's investigative climate podcast

 was the first narrative climate podcast and is the most downloaded climate podcast; it was awarded the Online News Association award for excellence in audio journalism, iHeartRadio award for best "green" podcast, and Covering Climate Now's award for excellence in audio journalism.

Amy Westervelt

Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. is the President & CEO of Hip Hop Caucus, the host of the award-winning climate and environmental justice podcast 

, and one of the most influential national leaders in the climate movement. Rev Yearwood has shaped climate policy, been recognized by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change for climate leadership, testified to Congress on the impacts of the climate crisis on communities of color, and led and inspired grassroots movement across the country connected by the framework that climate justice is racial justice and racial justice is climate justice.

 is the president & CEO of Hip Hop Caucus, the host of the award-winning climate and environmental justice podcast 

, and one of the most influential national leaders in the climate movement. Rev. Yearwood has shaped climate policy, been recognized by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change for climate leadership, testified to Congress on the impacts of the climate crisis on communities of color, and led and inspired grassroots movement across the country connected by the framework that climate justice is racial justice and racial justice is climate justice.

Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr.

There are infinite ways a person can be connected to the climate crisis—so many that it would be impossible to catalog them. Luckily, nobody wants an exhaustive catalog. Instead, they want living, breathing characters. So what follows are snapshots of people who are in some way connected to the movement or impacted by this chaos. Some are based on existing people, some are fictionalized or aggregated, but all are rooted in the stark psychological realities of how the climate crisis is showing up in people’s lives.

We also encourage you to look to real-life people doing this wild work. In our 

, we highlight a whole bunch of real humans who also happen to be amazing characters. Check out 

, a climate scientist dealing with sexual violence and exploring gender expression, or 

, a special-ed teacher who is fighting the fight in Cancer Alley. Maybe dig into 

, first-gen Palestinian from West Texas pushing the Green New Deal, or 

, a Latinx artist calling out the racist systems that keep Oakland polluted.

But before we get to those real-life heroes, we hope the fictional profiles that follow spark some ideas, and maybe even breathe life into some characters for your own stories.

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