Disha Ravi is a 23-year-old climate activist from Bengaluru, India. Ravi, who became involved in climate activism at age 19, is a co-founder of the Fridays for Future’s group in India. Prior to learning about the climate crisis, Ravi “believed that the hardships faced by the people in her village, Bandihalli in Karnataka, were normal,” as said in an interview with Forbes India. An article in The Guardian reported that her village, Bandihalli, “would flood every time it rained, getting worse every year.” The article quoted Ravi in an interview saying she had seen her “grandparents, who are farmers, struggle with the effects of the climate crisis,” but she wasn’t yet aware of the true source of these issues at the time.
Climate Activist Spotlight: Amariyanna “Mari” Copeny
Amariyanna “Mari” Copeny, known to many as “Little Miss Flint,” is a 14-year-old activist based in Flint, Michigan. Her activism began at just eight years old, when she first became aware of the undrinkable water in her hometown, in which high levels of lead were detected. Copeny began to gain national attention when she wrote a letter to then-President Barack Obama to convince him to come to Flint and see the water crisis firsthand. This letter prompted Obama’s May 2016 visit to Flint. After his visit, he declared a federal state of emergency for the Michigan town and allocated $100 million in aid to address the issue.