Why we wanted to bring climate activists together

We introduced the Earth Awards last year with the goal of highlighting individuals whose actions have had an indelible impact on global efforts to address climate change, one of the most urgent crises facing our planet. And in 2024, wecelebrated a new class of honorees at the Earth Awardsin New York City on Wednesday, April 24.

That group included actor and activistJane Fonda, who is working to elect climate leaders in all levels of government;Robert D. Bullard, the distinguished professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University (TSU) and the founding director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at TSU;Nemonte Nenquimo, a Waorani leader and co-founder of Amazon Frontlines and Ceibo Alliance; Uruguayan fashion designerGabriela Hearst, who produced the first carbon-neutral runway show in 2019; andJohn Kerry, who, as U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, hasshaped countless policies.

I was struck by the story of Professor Bullard—who is sometimes called the 'Father of Environmental Justice' andhad guests on their feetwith his acceptance speech. He described how he got started in the movement in 1979, when he conducted a study in support of the landmark caseBean v. Southwestern Waste Management Corps.,the first lawsuit to challenge environmental racism in the United States. It's been a long road, but Bullard is bullish about the future: “I do have faith,” he said. “But as my grandmother told me, faith without work is death. We are a live movement.”

Nenquimo, an Indigenous leader who is co-author of the upcoming bookWe Will Be Jaguars, has focused much of her activism on preserving the Amazon from deforestation and oil extraction. Sheencouraged us to listen to Mother Earth, who she says is sending us a warning about climate change in the form of extreme weather. But despite everything, she still has hope. I’ll leave you with her wise words, which reminded me why we've worked to pull this community together: “What gives me hope is being here together with all of you, and knowing that we can fight together,” she said. “I’m not asking you all to wait for Indigenous people to lead this fight against the climate crisis. What I’m asking is for all of us to join together and battle the climate crisis together. The water, the earth, the air needs our support.”