The 21st annual Brower Youth Awards, a two-part virtual event, celebrated six exceptional youth leaders in the environmental movement. The Awards Ceremony, held virtually on October 15, 2020, showcased their work and featured speeches.

The event's theme, "Passion and Purpose," highlighted the winners' dedication to environmental activism and their objective to improve our interconnected ecosystem. These thought leaders inspire new ways of environmental mobilization, guiding us forward.

A flagship event of the New Leaders Initiative, the Brower Youth Awards has recognized outstanding youth environmental leaders since 2000. It is presented by Earth Island Institute. Learn more at broweryouthawards.org.

Unngoorra Harbour, an alum of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF), congratulates the Class of 2020 on their achievements.

Unngoorra attended Queensland University of Technology and St Joseph's Nudgee College, graduating in 2015.

Jaime Latorre, a 15-year-old climate activist and Eagle Scout candidate, advocates for personal leadership and the importance of youth organizations in valuing nature. An avid outdoorsman, Jaime deeply cares for conservation.

His Eagle Scout project involves creating an insect farm and butterfly haven. Jaime's TEDx talk explores youth activism and how groups like the Boy Scouts foster participatory communities. This talk was independently organized by a local community. Learn more at TEDx.

CCL students are actively influencing lawmakers, uniting communities on climate change, and taking action, even during a pandemic. Discover how they embrace their personal and political power.

Access slide decks and more #CCL2020 presentations here. Join Citizen's Climate Lobby (CCL) here.

Danat Tekie's TEDxUiO talk, "Demystifying 'sustainability'," explores youth as a driving force for a sustainable future and encourages self-reflection. It's a must-watch for anyone seeking clarity on sustainability.

Danat, an "earthpreneur" passionate about making sustainability business as usual, is Chief External Relations for Young Sustainable Impact (YSI). YSI solves global sustainability challenges by fostering youth entrepreneurship and innovation, creating impact startups. She previously helped build Future Leaders Global, a leading youth leadership program in the Nordics.

This talk was presented at an independently organized TEDx event. Learn more at ted.com/tedx.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland visited Columbia for a World Leaders Forum event, offering students and faculty an 'extraordinary experience' with a leading sustainability figure. The event was hosted by Alex Halliday, director of Columbia’s Earth Institute, and moderated by Karenna Gore, director of the Center for Earth Ethics.

Columbia has long tackled climate change through cutting-edge research and grassroots student movements. A new series, 'Columbia on Climate,' now highlights the university’s central focus on climate and sustainability within its community.

In support of the UN Youth Climate Summit, the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G) hosted interactive games for young climate leaders on September 22, 2019, in New York City. The event explored complex decisions surrounding the deployment of climate-altering technologies to address global heating.

Climate Interactive facilitated a "Model-UN-like" negotiating game, utilizing the En-roads Climate Solutions Simulation. This powerful tool allowed participants to interactively explore the combined effects of various policies and technologies on atmospheric CO2 levels and global temperatures.

The 20th annual Brower Youth Awards Ceremony was held on October 15, 2019. The event took place at the Herbst Theatre, located in the San Francisco War Memorial Veterans Building.

The 2019 award winners included Isha Clarke, Mackenzie Feldman, Lia Harel, Isra Hirsi, Shannon Lisa, and Tammy Ramos.

Q'orianka, a Peruvian-American filmmaker and actress, leverages her platform to highlight human rights and environmental injustices. She focused on Los Angeles-based Occidental Petroleum, which discharged 800,000 barrels of toxic wastewater, containing contaminants like cyanide and mercury, into the Corrientes river basin in the Peruvian Amazon.

This pollution severely impacted the Achuar and other Amazonian communities, who rely on the river for survival and have endured 35 years of conflict. During a trip to Peru, Q'orianka directed media attention to their plight. She invited indigenous leaders to a red carpet event, toured affected areas, interviewed residents for a documentary, and collaborated with Amazon Watch to advocate for change.

Amira Odeh, a student at the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, observed peers buying disposable plastic water bottles due to inadequate campus fountains. Drawing from her personal experience with water scarcity, she initiated a campaign to address this wasteful habit.

Her successful advocacy led to the installation of new drinking fountains in every building and educated students on the environmental impact of single-use bottles. Consequently, more students now utilize the free tap water available on campus.

Odeh considers the university's commitment to maintaining fountain conditions and its consideration of a ban on non-reusable bottles her most significant accomplishment. This marked the first student-instigated environmental change campaign on a Puerto Rican college campus.

In 2008, fifth-grader Cassandra Lin founded Turn Grease Into Fuel (TGIF) after learning used cooking oil could be converted into affordable, clean-burning biodiesel for home heating. TGIF partners with local restaurants to collect kitchen grease, which is then recycled and distributed to charities assisting families with heating needs. This initiative has already helped offset over two million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

Lin and her team further championed environmental efforts by drafting Rhode Island's Used Cooking Oil Recycling Act in 2011. Passed into law in 2012, this legislation expanded TGIF's reach, establishing a robust network that effectively addresses community needs while significantly reducing waste and pollution.

Chloe Maxmin co-founded "Divest Harvard" in September 2012, aiming to move Harvard University's funds out of fossil fuel corporations. Her initiative built on research into Harvard's past divestment campaigns against apartheid and Big Tobacco, galvanizing a broad student and community movement.

The campaign gained significant traction, highlighted by a campus-wide referendum where 72% of undergraduates supported fossil fuel divestment. This, combined with outreach to alumni and faculty, led to meetings with trustees and initiated a crucial dialogue about fossil fuels at the university. Maxmin's activism began at age 12, and in 2007, she founded "First Here, Then Everywhere," an online network connecting youth activists globally.

Victor Davila, a New Yorker, was among the seven winners of the Earth Island Institute's 2011 Brower Youth Awards.

He teaches young people in his community about environmental and health issues, uniquely using skateboarding as his educational platform.

Michigan's Rhiannon Tomtishen and Madison Vorva are recipients of the Earth Island Institute's 2011 Brower Youth Award.

They successfully advocated for Girl Scouts USA to limit the use of destructive palm oil in their iconic cookies.

Childhood friends Erika and Kayla actively championed river health in their hometown. Through the Youth Tribal Council and a Salmon Run Relay, they raised awareness about the declining Klamath and Trinity rivers. Excessive water diversion for agriculture, requiring dams and heavy irrigation, had severely depleted water tables and fish populations like salmon, sturgeon, and trout.

The Salmon Run Relay, mimicking salmon migration, also educated the community on native diet and culture, featuring a ceremony based on Yurok, Hupa, and Karuk traditions. Erika and Kayla further organized town hall meetings and distributed pamphlets, aiming to unite cultures, promote health, and encourage political engagement for river conservation.

Inspired by a 2004 Wall Street Journal article on the E-Waste crisis, Alex launched Project WIN '05 with his Westerly Innovations Network team. This initiative achieved significant local impact, collecting 21,000 pounds of E-Waste and establishing a permanent town receptacle that has gathered over 60,000 pounds. Project WIN '05 also helped enact local and statewide E-Waste dumping bans.

Alex further integrated computer refurbishing into his school's curriculum, restoring and distributing 260 computers to students locally and in Sri Lanka and Mexico. His recent work includes building an Internet café in Cameroon, developing a UN Environment Program pilot for international youth, and launching a "Bridging Divides" program with U.S. businesses and schools.

Q'orianka, a Peruvian-descended filmmaker and actress, champions human rights and environmental justice. She drew attention to Occidental Petroleum's discharge of 800,000 barrels of toxic wastewater, laden with contaminants like cyanide and lead, into the Corrientes river basin in the Peruvian Amazon. This pollution severely impacts the Achuar and other indigenous communities, who rely on the river and have faced conflict for 35 years.

During a film promotion trip, Q'orianka leveraged her media presence for the Achuar's plight. She invited indigenous leaders to a red carpet event, toured affected areas, interviewed residents for a documentary, collaborated with Amazon Watch, and urged oil company representatives to visit the impacted region.

C40's Women4Climate initiative empowers women to lead climate action. Through a global mentorship program and leadership events in C40 cities, it aims to foster new thinking and momentum among future leaders.

Women, who comprise over half the world's population, are often disproportionately impacted by climate change but lack representation in decision-making. Enhancing their participation and leadership is crucial for a healthy, prosperous, and sustainable future for all.

Shannon Lisa delivered a speech at the 2019 Brower Youth Awards.

The event took place on October 15 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.

The 2019 Brower Youth Awards were held on October 15 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. This annual event recognizes outstanding young environmental leaders.

A key moment of the ceremony was a powerful speech delivered by Lia Harel. Her address highlighted critical environmental issues and the vital role of youth in driving change.