It is so important not to place individual activists on a pedestal. In the words of American political activist Angela Davis, ?It is essential to resist the depiction of history as the work of heroic individuals in order for people today to recognise their potential agency as part of an ever-expanding community of struggle.?
Change doesn’t happen through the work of a few people; movements require the collective efforts of many.
Therefore, I share these examples of activists doing great work, not to idolise them but instead to highlight them as people whom you can learn from and consequently be inspired to take action and get involved in activism yourself, in whatever way you can. Ultimately, in order to fight injustice and make the world a better place, we all need to work together.
Mikaela Loach
- Twitter – @mikaelaloach
- Instagram – @mikaelaloach
Mikaela is one of three claimants taking the UK government to court to challenge the Oil & Gas Association’s policy in the North Sea and the subsidies and tax breaks the industry is given by the UK Government. Her organising work and Instagram page focus on highlighting the harm caused by the fossil fuel industry, as well as the intersections of the climate crisis with oppressive systems such as white supremacy and migrant injustices. You can support the Paid To Pollute court case by visiting www.paidtopollute.org.uk.
Jo Becker
- Twitter – @josephinebeckr
- Instagram – @treesnpeace
Mikaela and Jo also co-host The Yikes Podcast, in which they explore topics relating to climate change, human rights, and social justice in an accessible, intersectional, and nuanced way, in order to guide listeners towards taking action.
Lauren MacDonald
- Twitter – @sunfloweryell0w
- Instagram – @laurenthesunflower
Lauren is currently working with the Stop Cambo campaign, the campaign to stop the proposed Cambo oil field off the coast of Scotland, and Food Not Bombs Glasgow, an anarchist group which provides free vegan hot meals for the local community. In October, at the TED Climate Conference in Edinburgh, she so bravely and so eloquently went on stage and told Shell’s CEO, Ben van Beurden, that he will never be forgiven for Shell’s complicity in worsening the climate crisis. You can watch her incredible speech on Instagram.
Fridays For Future Scotland
- Twitter – @FFF_Scotland
- Instagram – @fff_scotland
Inspired by the work of other environmental activists, Fridays for Future Scotland was founded by young people across Scotland in 2019, in order to urge the Scottish Government to take action to tackle the climate crisis. As well as climate striking, FFF Scotland champions Teach the Future, an initiative pushing for education on the climate crisis to be placed at the heart of the Scottish education system, and pushes for a just and green pandemic recovery for Scotland that works for people and the planet. You can find out more about FFF Scotland’s work and become part of the team by visiting https://climatestrike.scot/.
Read other environmental blogs or visit our COP26 page to find out more about climate change, the climate crisis and the environment.
Young Scot supports young people to share their own voices, views and opinions and works with partner organisations and professionals who are experts in different topics. The views expressed in this blog are those of the young people, organisations and/or individuals who have taken part in the blog, not necessarily the views of Young Scot.
Young Scot supports young people to share their own voices, views and opinions and works with partner organisations and professionals who are experts in different topics. The views expressed in this blog are those of the young people, organisations and/or individuals who have taken part in the blog, not necessarily the views of Young Scot.