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Minimata Disease
in Kumamoto, Japan, the Chisso chemical plant dumped an estimated 27 tons of methylmercury into the Minamata Bay. This disease was obtained from the consumption of fish and shellfish in the Minimata bay. Two million citizens were affected from this. (https://www.env.go.jp/en/chemi/hs/minamata2002/summary.html#:~:text=Minamata%20Disease%2C%20which%20is%20a,River%20basin%20in%20Niigata%20Prefecture.) -
Sir David Attenborough
David Attenborough has been the voice of many documentaries and tv series including voicing the BBC. He realized that the earth can only produce a certain amount of natural resources; This amount is not enough for the rate that humans are utilizing them. Attenborough's more current video programs consist of climate change, biodiversity loss, plastics in the ocean, deforestation. etc. He has helped to educate our world on how to better care for the environment.
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Bhopal
In Bhopal, India, methyl isocyanate leaked from a pesticide plant. This caused 3,800 citizens to die instantly. In all around 15,000 to 20,000 people died. This gas caused birth defects, blindness, respiratory issues and much more. (https://www.britannica.com/event/Bhopal-disaster) -
Chernobyl
Chernobyl was caused because of a flawed reactor being controlled by someone who was inexperienced. Two operators died in the same night and over a few weeks 28 civilians died. 350,000 people in total were evacuated from this explosion. Now Chernobyl is still radioactive and is a ghost town. (https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident) -
Julia Butterfly
Julia is an environmental activist. She believes in preserving the environment as it is and bringing no harm to the forests especially. On December 10th 1997, Julia decided to live in a tree called ‘Luna’ in order to save it from the Pacific Lumber Company from chopping it down. She lived in Luna for two years which prove successful as they stopped clear cutting forests. (https://treesfoundation.org/2021/07/julia-butterfly-hill/) -
Dame Ellen MacArthur
Ellen was the fastest solo sailor to sail around the world in 2005. This trip helped her to view the world with a new point of view. She began to question our systems and how we function. In 2010 she founded the charity “The Ellen MacAruthur Foundation”. This had an impact on global trade and industry (https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/about-us/ellens-story) -
Fukushima
In Japan there was an earthquake that created a tsunami. These waves hit a chemical plant taking out three reactors. Over 100,000 people were evacuated. Today fisherman and worried about the future of seafood because of all the radioactive waste in the water.
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Tokata Iron Eyes
Iron eyes is apart of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. In 2016 she opposed the Dakota Access Pipeline. This pipeline goes through sacred land of her tribe. Across the US this pipeline takes oil from the Bakken sites too. There has been assessments done and now the project is no longer a thing. When it was still going on, people were worried about the effect it would’ve have on the environment including some sort of pollution or leak.
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Greta Thunberg
Greta preaches and educates others on how climate change affects our environment. She has Asperger syndrome. She founded the ‘Fridays for Future’ and in 2019 is when there was over one million students who joined. She also has published ‘The Climate Book’ in 2022. Greta is an example for the younger generations on how to help stop climate change. (text)
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Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru
Wawa is advocate for environmental justice. She wants to inspire others and to tel stories of citizens who have been directly affected by climate change. At around the age of 15 she found herself in an environmental science class when she discovered that climate change is an issue of justice. In 2021 was when she founded the Black Girl Environmentalists, climate communicator and a Rhodes Scholar.