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Teen Activist Sarah Goody On the Importance of Mental Health in Activism, Her Inspirations, & More “Just over a decade is all that remains to stop irreversible damage from climate change,” read a briefing released last year from a United Nations assembly. In that same year, the United States alone experienced a recordbreaking 22 weather or climate disasters including the worst fire season in California
history that ravaged over 4.5 million acres of land. Constantly overwhelmed with the seemingly never-ending flood of negative news about the future of our planet and the lack of action from adult leaders, many members of Gen Z have taken their frustration and anger and turned it into action. Being
5 a generation that has grown up with climate change as a known factor in life, it’s no surprise that so many teenagers and young adults are passionate about climate justice. As a California native, Sarah Goody has seen the fatal effects climate change has had on our planet in her own backyard. First introdu-
"It was in this moment that I made a promise to myself to never stop fighting until I saw a future where the human race could thrive in safety and peaceful coexistence with nature."
ced to the topic of climate change as a middle schooler, she was immediately fascinated by the topic and wanted to make a difference. Feeling a newfangled sense of purpose, the sixth-grader became determined to use her time to learn about the issue and raise awareness. Today, at just sixteen years old, Sarah is the founder of Climate NOW and Broadway Speaks Up, two organizations dedicated to educating and empowering others to take action surrounding climate change. She is also the chair of her hometown’s Climate Action Committee where she leads a team in the carbon neutrality efforts facing her California town, and has been published in Forbes and Teen Vogue for her work – all before she can legally vote!
How did you get involved in climate activism? I was first introduced to the climate crisis in the 6th grade. My class spent a month dedicated to exploring the causes and effects of climate change. I began to understand the direct impacts that the climate crisis would have on my community, my future, and society as a whole. It was in this moment that I made a promise to myself to never stop fighting until I saw a future where the human race could thrive in safety and peaceful coexistence with nature.
What are you most proud of? I am most proud of the interactions and inspiration I have given to other young people. It amazes me to see how excited my generation is to act on climate change and make a difference to help the planet. My favorite moments from my work have been interactions with students! Seeing the passion I ignite within them truly rocks my world. What frustrates you about being a climate change activist? Overcoming stereotypes associated with my young age. As a 16-year-old, I am not always taken seriously for the work that I do. It takes a lot of effort to break down barriers and prove myself as a young person. Even though I don’t have a college degree yet or haven’t spent 20+ years practicing climate science, that doesn’t mean my voice isn’t important to the conversation around climate justice. How do you stay motivated, especially when little is happening at the legislation level? I stay motivated by focusing on the accomplishments we (the climate movement) have had. It helps to divert my attention to the positive strides our society has made towards combating climate change. You will find that amongst all the pain and terror, there is also a lot of hope and excitement.
Have you ever been able to change someone’s perspective on climate change? If so, how? Yes - many times! When talking to people with differing perspectives it is important to find a common ground. What is something that you can both agree on? By finding common ground, both people will feel a sense of compassion for each other and from there it will be easier to have conversations regarding what you disagree about. How do you take care of your mental health while being an activist? Funnily enough, I feel like activism is how I take care of my mental health. It brings me so much relief and peace of mind to know I am doing something about climate change and not just avoiding the unavoidable. Activist burnout is common, especially with young activists – how do you avoid burning out? Set aside time for yourself. Often I get stressed when I sit down to watch Netflix or go on a walk, because I feel that I need to constantly be doing something. I realized that although it may be difficult to prioritize self-care, if you don’t allow yourself time to breath, burnout is inevitable. With that said, make sure to schedule time everyday to do something that brings you joy!
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How do you think the climate change movement can be sustained long term? How can more people get involved? More people can get involved by simply deciding to take action. Whether that means looking within your own life and reducing your carbon footprint, or volunteering your time with an organization like Climate NOW. I encourage you to check out my organization Climate NOW, as we have many resources to help you find your place in the global climate movement. What is the biggest advice you would give potential activists, particularly youth? Throughout my journey as a climate activist, the most important lesson I learned is to hold on to hope. I have spent the past four years of my life dedicated to fighting climate change, and even though all odds are against me, I continue to persevere. Because without hope, what do we have to live for? Often, the path to success as an activist isn’t straightforward and you have to keep your head up as you navigate life’s curveballs.
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About Sarah Goody's Organization:
Climate Now Founded by Sarah Goody in 2019, Climate NOW is a youth-led organization educating young people about climate change and the ways in which they can take action for a better future.
Beginning in Sarah Goody’s hometown of Corte Madera after she saw a need for climate education and an outlet for youth climate activism in her community, Climate NOW eventually began by working with students across the world. Climate NOW aims to empower the next generation to be leaders in sustainability through their four programs including their School Presentation Program, Student Toolkit, Volunteer Program, and 10 Action Challenge. Their student presentations are created in partnership with educators to bring in Climate NOW to teach elementary, middle, and high school students across the world about the climate crisis. In addition to education, Climate NOW strives to connect youth with ways they can take action and make a change at both a local and global level through the 10 action challenge, student toolkit, and volunteer program which are geared to help empower youth to take action in their local communities.
The organization also hosts webinars and other events to spread awareness and factual information about the climate crisis. Additionally, recognizing the inherent intersectionality of the climate movement, the organization is committed to uplifting voices from the racial justice and LGBTQ communities in their work and aims to educate on how climate change affects marginalized communities.
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Meet Lei Shimabukuro: The Designer Redefining Sustainable Beach Wear As our generation is faced with the consequences of the generations before us, more and more of Gen Z is committed to helping do their part to mitigate climate change. At nineteen, Lei Shimabukuro saw the detrimental impacts of the fast fashion industry on the environment and decided to merge her passion for design and business with climate activism to form Sea Seven – a blossoming small business striving to address these environmental impacts of fast fashion by providing a go-to slow-fashion option for a stylish and eco-friendly wardrobe. Born and raised in Hawaii, Lei has grown to appreciate the earth’s beauty which has driven her fierce desire to take action to protect it. In starting Sea Seven, she knew she had to
Instagram: @seaxseven Website: www.seaxseven.com
make each piece sustainable from start to finish. Every Sea Seven product is manufactured in the US to decrease carbon emissions from transportation and is made in factories that recycle water to decrease water usage, and ensure fair wages and safe working conditions for employees to provide lasting careers that support their families. Products are then sent to Lei's home state of Hawaii to be printed by a small local business. All products use organic cotton or recycled material and once pieces are completed and ready to be shipped, they are sent in compostable and biodegradable packaging with minimal to no waste.
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How is the company sustainable? What practices do you use? At Sea Seven, we put sustainability and ethicality at the forefront of the brand. With that being said, all materials to create pieces are sourced sustainably. Heavy research is taken before choosing a fabric. Fabrics such as 100% certified organic cotton, or recycled fabrics are great options for eco-friendly garments. We ensure that we work with ethical clothing manufacturers where workers are being paid fair wages under safe working conditions. Once blank pieces are made, we work with a local printing company based in Hawaii to support a small local business. When products are finally finished, it is packaged in recycled mailers and I hand deliver local orders.
ford a tee that's $70. I mark up my products pretty low, and I honestly don't make a lot of profit, but I'm okay with that as long as it points people in the right direction to support sustainable brands with a purpose. To brands that say "it's too expensive to be sustainable," my response is "if a 19-year-old girl who paid her entire startup can, you can."
How do you design your products/what is your creative process? My design process is inspired by the environment around me. I don't really have a plan when it comes to my designs, I draw whatever I feel and what message I want to spread. Simplicity is important to me when creating pieces so that people want to continue to wear these pieces for a long time, unlike trendy fast fashion garments. What are the biggest things you’ve learned from starting this business? What advice would you give to other people looking to start a sustainable business in particular? With only less than 4 months of my business, I yet have lots to learn, but one thing I have learned so far is to not overthink what others will think. Being a teenager can be difficult, where I constantly feel like I'm being judged. In the beginning, I didn't tell anyone I started a clothing brand because I was afraid of what people will say. But as time went on and I have gotten support through friends, family, and even strangers. I realized that the biggest person judging me was myself. Creating this brand is what made me happy and I will now share it proudly. You have fairly low prices for being a sustainable brand, what do you say to all the companies who say it’s too expensive to be sustainable? I think the biggest issue that people have with sustainable brands is the pricing. My goal for Sea Seven was to be able to make sustainable clothing more accessible to people. As someone who still works a part-time job, I can understand that sometimes people can't af-
"But as time went on and I have gotten support through friends, family, and even strangers. I realized that the biggest person judging me was myself."
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What areas of your company aren’t as sustainable as you’d like them to be? Do you have any changes in mind for the coming years? In future projects, I would love to utilize more recycled fabrics, instead of using new fabrics. Sometimes wearing what is already created is the most sustainable option, so it would be cool to upcycle some old garments and turn them into something new. How are you trying to influence other business leaders and the fashion industry as a whole? Right now the most influential thing I can do is to continue to educate others about the impacts of the fashion industry, and how it will affect our planet in the coming years. With social media existing, it is much easier to connect with people all around the world. I hope that I can be an example to inspire people to create purpose-driven brands that showcase sustainability and ethicality. What are the advantages to shopping sustainably? The great thing about shopping sustainably is that you are ensured high-quality pieces that are made to last, and impact the environment in the least way possible. Shopping sustainably is often pricier than most brands, which prevents people from over-consumption of clothing. Fast fashion brands are cheap, made with synthetic materials, and trendy so they are typically thrown out after the season ends. So in the end, you might be saving money!
Right - SEA SEVEN TEE - UNISEX $25.60 Left - SEA SICK CREWNECK - BROWN UNISEX $40.00
What advice do you have for those wanting to shop more sustainably? Take small steps! Create the mindset of buying with intention. Remember who you are supporting when you buy clothing. Would you rather underpay a child in a third-world country for that cute top, or would you rather support a small business owner who created something from scratch? For someone on a budget like I am, I love thrifting. There are tons of online shops if not in-store.
And from time to time, I splurge on a good quality piece from a sustainable brand. What's coming up next for seaxseven? Any new drops to look forward to? We have so many exciting ideas in the works, the next drop is most likely coming in June! Stay tuned... Shop Sea Seven at www.seaxseven.com!
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In My Bag Everyday Essentials for Living Sustainably With many places starting to open up a bit more, you might find yourself finally packing a bag to go out again! Unfortunately, a lot of the things we bring around daily: sandwich bags, water bottles, etc, are made of plastic and aren't environmentally friendly. Now is the perfect time to replace all the one-use plastic with reusable options! Even better, choose replacements that are made out of sustainably sourced materials – like this mask or wallet! You can also make conscious, sustainable, choices in your backto-school shopping such as choosing a notebook made of compostable materials or a reusable snack bag. Here are a few of our favorite reusable alternatives to our school/on-the-go essentials but keep in mind these are just a start and there are likely plenty of other alternatives from other brands, big and small, at all price points.
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Mother Nature Wears A Pantsuit A Photo Series by Reagan Jade
about the series Mother Nature Wears a Pantsuit is a piece that explores the power of Mother Nature but also depicts a more fragile and tired side of her.
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about the artist Reagan Jade is a female filmmaker, photographer, and lover of all things creative who is currently based in Vancouver, Canada. She enjoys working with people to help bring their stories to life and create art whether that‘s through music videos, creative portrait sessions, or documentaries. Much of her spare time is spent plotting her next project, painting, or binging New Girl on Netflix.
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Sarah Collins on Wonderbag: The Slow Cooker Combating Climate Change By Empowering Women Now, more than ever, it is apparent that problems caused by multiple factors need a multi-factor solution. With the issues and inequality we face today, we must find effective and affordable solutions. South African entrepreneur and social activist Sarah Collins embodies this approach in her invention, the Wonderbag. The Wonderbag simultaneously combats climate change by reducing carbon emissions and empowers women, opening up education opportunities. The Wonderbag was born out of a practical desire to continue cooking during a national power outage. This award-
winning revolutionary, non-electric heat-retention cooker allows food that has been brought to the boil by conventional methods – such as a traditional stove– to continue to cook without using additional energy sources. The bag is covered with durable polyester cotton blend fabric and filled with a proprietary blend of chipped (recycled) foam for dependable insulation. Since its creation in 2008, this innovative solution has had tremendous impacts on Africa’s most vulnerable communities and the environment.
47 What is the Wonderbag? What does it do and how does it help communities? Wonderbag is an innovative solution for Africa’s most vulnerable communities and the environment. This non-electric heat-retention cooker allows food that has been brought to the boil by conventional methods to continue to cook for up to 12 hours without using additional energy sources. Wonderbag is no stranger to global recognition and accolades for its game-changing humanitarian and environmental benefits. Users of a Wonderbag will benefit from time, money, water and energy savings – but the environmental benefits that will automatically transpire are enormous too! Just one Wonderbag used over a year reduces up to 1,5 tons of carbon emissions annually, reduces exposure to indoor air-pollution by up to 90% in houses cooking with biomass materials, saves five trees annually from being cut down to prevent deforestation, reduces fuel costs for cooking by up to 80%, and saves over 1000 litres of water per annum. The Wonderbag is for everyone and anyone. However, the people and communities I believe that will benefit the most from the multiple benefits the Wonderbag offers – are those living in rural and vulnerable communities. The Wonderbag goes everywhere - from the kitchens of suburbia to the kitchens of rural Africa. Wonderbag is a catalyst to shift the status quo of dire poverty, and enable resilience within homes across the world - enabling economic freedom and dignity for all.
What inspired the creation of the Wonderbag? I came up with the concept of Wonderbag in 2008 during a bout of Eskom load shedding when I wanted to continue cooking. It was the age old technology of heat retention cooking that inspired me and watching my Grandmother use the Wonderbox that gave me the idea and inspiration to create the Wonderbag. Having grown up in rural, apartheid-era South Africa in the 1970s on a farm in KZN, it was the female Zulu women who instilled in me a deep sense of community and equality. My childhood inspired my life’s work focusing on empowering women living below the poverty line through grassroots efforts. The Wonderbag journey through the years has been nothing short of inspiring.
What was the design process like? The design took shape over time but the prototype for our beautiful African inspired shwe-shwe patterns of the Wonderbag happened when I was on a local flight. Enter Moshy Mathe, the founder of the NGO Youth For Survival. I met her on a flight and complimented her on being the most gorgeous passenger on the plane wearing her African inspired outfit. Instantly the creative sparks flew and when I explained to Moshe what I wanted to create for the first ever Wonderbag (using a design drawn on a napkin), she got me straight away and in the next 2 weeks set about creating the first ever Wonderbag! Since then we have obviously refined the manufacturing and design process to meet international quality standards because Wonderbag has a reach worldwide. However, our bags are still manufactured locally through our factory in KZN, Tongaat.
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How did you collaborate with others to create the Wonderbag? Partnerships are an essential part of our growth strategy and we believe in collaboration not isolation! By partnering with big business and humanitarian organisations like the International Red Cross Federation, we are able to affect real change on a mass scale. My total belief is that the key to the stark divides and lack of basic human rights such as access to health care, food, water and education, as well as safety, lies in partnerships between large global corporations across Public & Private Institutions, Foundations, local communities and individuals. I’m proud to be an African entrepreneur and social activist and I believe climate change and the empowerment of women to be among the most pressing concerns of today. I am now focused on using my experience to reach out to business leaders who understand that today’s business models must not only produce sound and consistent financial results but also sustainable social and environmental outcomes.
Wonderbag (Varied sizes available, $39-79) You can purchase your own wonderbag and find recipe suggestions at www.wonderbagworld.com!
Did you feel you made any mistakes in the process? What did you learn from them? Yes…many times! But that’s also how you learn and grow. Key learnings I have made over the years include… 1. Spend less money than you want to. Rather grow your business organically and take small steps. More money and more people do not mean quicker and easier success. 2. Don't saddle yourself with debt. Grow organically until you are in a position to handle debt with structures and scalability. Know and get your markets right before you take on debt or partners. They can make you or break you. What advice would you give to your past self starting the company? Always trust your gut, and don’t let anyone try and persuade you otherwise. Believe in yourself, you have the answers!
What advice would you give to teens looking to make a difference in their communities, especially those who want to accomplish it through design? Start small and be consistent, success lies in consistency. Put into place smaller more realistic targets. Achieving smaller targets will help you gain the courage needed to achie-
ve your bigger goals. I think as a teenager learning from a mentor who has practical knowledge in the field and who can teach them through their experiences, is the ideal situation. My advice to teens would be to find an influential figure
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What is the most difficult part of your job and creating the Wonderbag? What is the most gratifying? My biggest challenge was getting people to take me and this bag seriously! And it has and still is about honing in on the right people and leading in a manner which is always aligned to the markets we operate in. People and the problems they can present in a business can be your worst nightmare, but they can also be your biggest asset - choose your people wisely! What I find most gratifying about what I do, is that I find so many people out there are searching for their purpose. So, I am incredibly grateful to have found mine in innovating simple, culturally relevant products that are changing lives for the positive. Ultimately my purpose in life is to leave this world having made it a better place than when I arrived. How can people get involved with or support Wonderbag? Visit the Wonderbag website on www.wonderbagworld.com to find out how you can partner with us or donate to our Wonderbag Foundation. Even just by purchasing your own Wonderbag you can make a difference and contribute positively to our planet by offsetting carbon emissions just through cooking with a Wonderbag. Is there anything coming up for Wondebag that we should look out for? There are lots of exciting opportunities and partnerships that we are working on in the carbon offsetting and carbon credits space in particular…so watch this space! Connect With Wonderbag On: Twitter and Instagram: @TheWonderbag Facebook: Facebook.com/TheWonderbag Website: www.wonderbagworld.com
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Evelyn Han Instagram: @lynn._.portraits Model: @maya_x0x0 Valentina Rivoli Instagram: @head.and.the.heart, @valentina.rivoli Mallory Barry Instagram: @malbphotography Website: www.malbphotography.com Olivia Bokesch Instagram: @ absolutelyolivia Website: www.absolutelyolivia.com Colette Holcomb Instagram: @teenidlezine Reagan Jade Instagram: @reagan.jade Website: www.reaganjademedia.com Model: Summer Sturm @summersturm Makeup Artist: Isabel Paganine @isabelmakeup.art Abby Franke Instagram/Twitter/Tik Tok: @afranke_art VSCO: @afranke-art Hallel Jornadal Instagram: @halserj Linktree: linktr.eed/halserj Rosabella Instagram: @teddyartbitch Jolee Mallmann Instagram: @jolee.jpg Website: ww.peachteaphotographyfilm.com
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Sarah Goody Instagram: @sarah.goody4 Website: www.sarah-goody.com Lei Shimabukuro Instagram: @seaxseven Website: www. seaxseven.com Sarah Collins Instagram: @thewonderbag Website: www. wonderbagworld.com
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