Science Partnership for Global Change Education
Climate Heroes
Heroes come in all sizes and shapes. Some stun us with their persistence, while others with their creativity and courage. But they all inspire us!
Here is a smattering of people we admire for what they have contributed to figuring out what is going on with the climate, bringing awareness to important issues, or fighting for change.
They all made or are making a difference as advocates for change. We hope they create hope and drive action for you and your students.
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Greta Thunberg
Environmental Climate Change Activist,
Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 and other years, Organizer of numerous climate change events worldwide, named Time magazine’s Teen of the Year 2018, Recipient of Sweden’s Woman of the Year award 2019, and many other activities.
“People are unaware of what is going on. When I talk to people, they know the basics, they know the planet is warming because of greenhouse gases... but they don't know the actual consequence of that.”
Patience Nabukalu, Uganda
Coordinator of Fridays For Future Uganda, Founder of Stop Wetland Degradation and Stop Plastic Pollution campaigns.
“In Uganda, we have seen changes in weather patterns and we are experiencing floods every day. Children are suffering, farmers are losing their crops and property is being damaged.”
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Dr. James Hansen,
Former Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, where he directs the Program on Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions.
“Scientists will say we can't blame global warming for any single event. In a sense that's right, but the fact that the frequency and intensity of these events is increasing you can blame on global warming.”
Isra Hirsi
Youth activist, Minneapolis, MN
Co founder the U.S. Youth Climate Strike in 2019 and organizer of more than 100,000 young people to strike for climate justice.
“Climate change is the fight of my generation, and it needs to be addressed urgently.”
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Al Gore
Former US Vice President; founding partner and chairman of Generation Investment Management, and the founder and chairman of The Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit devoted to solving the climate crisis.
“Our world faces a true planetary emergency. I know the phrase sounds shrill, and I know it's a challenge to the moral imagination.”
Sir David Attenborough
British broadcaster, biologist, natural historian, and writer.
Advocate for restoring planetary biodiversity, limiting population
growth, switching to renewable energy, mitigating climate change, and setting aside more areas for natural preservation.
“Never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet, and never before have we had the power to do something about that.”
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