When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Roots & Shoots USA member Sophie K. found herself with a lot of time for introspection. With fewer other distractions, she was struggling with eco-anxiety — extreme worry about the human-caused harm done to the environment. She knew she wasn’t the only one, so she started an online community for people to share their worries, which she called the Clean & Green Initiative. Soon, discussion turned to action as members began organizing community projects. Now, the Clean & Green Initiative is a nonprofit organization with more than 700 people from over 30 countries in this digital community, and over 20 volunteers moderating conversations and assisting with projects!
Together, they’ve been tackling eco-anxiety through guest-written blog posts, a series of interviews with climate heroes on YouTube, and a school food waste audit and subsequent report so schools can make informed decisions to reduce waste. They even received a Roots & Shoots project grant to help with this work. Most recently, Sophie and two friends have been working on a children’s book around eco-anxiety — more info to come! It’s amazing to see what young people are capable of when they know they’re working together!
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