At her popular TED Talk, Dr. Johnson speaks on finding joy in climate action.
Imagine this: No wildfires. Or 100-year-hurricanes or droughts or floods every year. Our coral reefs are vibrant; the microplastics are gone. There is sustainable public transportation, clean energy, and lush landscapes. With the facts of climate change—an ever-warming world, climate-destroyed communities, rapidly dwindling natural resources—it can be hard to imagine. Or it feels just that, imaginary. And it’s enough to make taking any meaningful action to “save the planet” so lofty and vast, it can feel pointless.
Talk to Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Ph.D., a marine biologist and climate activist, and a different story emerges. She is the founder of the Urban Ocean Lab, an organization that works to help plan for the future of coastal cities, and has worked with everyone from Patagonia to the U.S. government to develop clean ocean policies. While Dr. Johnson doesn’t belittle the big problems climate change presents, she also believes them to be solvable.
It’s a topic Dr. Johnson explores in her recently published book, What If We Get It Right? Here, she shares that while a utopian world may not be the future, the apocalyptic visions we're all prophesying aren’t either.
What drew you to the world of marine biology and environmentalism?
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: From a very young age, what drew me to it is love. I fell in love with nature—sea urchins, worms, butterflies, reef fish, stars, sunshowers, forests, moss. Once I learned that the species and ecosystems I loved were threatened, I became determined to do what I could to protect and restore nature.
Bu hikaye Marie Claire - US dergisinin The Changemakers Issue sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Marie Claire - US dergisinin The Changemakers Issue sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
BOREDOM HELPED THE FOUNDERS OF LEFT ON FRIDAY BUILD A NEW BRAND
Shannon Savage and Laura Low Ah Kee left their executive roles at Lululemon to try their hand at starting a bathing suit business.
A REFRESHING CONVERSATION ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
The realities of global warming are becoming increasingly dismal. But in her latest book What If We Get It Right?, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson explains that we already have the answers we need.
GIVING BIRTH IN GAZA
Procedures performed with kitchen scissors. Makeshift medical tents with no pain medication, clean water, or electricity. Marie Claire goes inside one of the most dangerous places in the world to be pregnant right now.
MYHA'LA IS THINKING BIG
The Industry star is entering a new phase of life, determined to take up more space in her personal and professional endeavors. Showing off this season's bold, billowing silhouettes, she tells us all about it.
COAST ALONG
A slice of the Mexican shoreline in Costalegre is reconsidering what sustainable travel can look like, through gentle development and thoughtful community.
READY FOR DRIFT OFF
A new wave of sleep retreats and spas are offering another way to get some shut-eye.
THE BARE TRUTH ABOUT NAKED DRESSING
The trend isn't just for A-listers. But it isn't necessarily for all of us, either.
FASHION IS LOSING MIDDLE GROUND
In-between brands are disappearing. And with them, an entire perspective on style.
WORK WIVES ARE GOING EXTINCT
They're becoming less common as remote and hybrid work get more prevalent. But is now the time when we need them most?
MY DECADES-LONG JOURNEY TO CURLS
\"My hair's growth these years, much like mine, has been stunningly imperfect.\"
