Anya was honored to have the opportunity to spend a transformative four days at the hashtag #BBGGreenFestival, sponsored by Amazon. The festival highlighted how technology and business can drive significant advancements in the sustainability and climate movement. The interactions Anya had deepened her commitment to sustainability and reinforced a theme – “planting seeds for others to grow."
"My love for the environment was born at a young age through hiking – I saw Earth’s beauty. Moving overseas when I was eight opened my eyes to the human impact and degradation of our planet. I still saw beauty, but I had taken the lush green forests, trash-free rivers, and more, for granted. Becoming vegan deepened my connection to Earth, reinforcing that everything we depend on to survive comes from our planet. I remember questioning – “Earth is our home. Shouldn’t we want to take care of it?”. A new seed was planted — awareness and responsibility."
Anya listened to a series of panels and TED talks at the Bloomberg Festival, where scientists, sustainable leaders, CEOs, authors, filmmakers, and professors shared personal stories and the reality of climate change. Hearing Johan Rockström (one of the scientists that first proposed the concept of nine planetary boundaries) talk about his Climate Impact Research was a scary wake-up call. Xiye Bastida (22-year old climate justice activist), spoke about how her community was flooded, and how others shouldn’t directly experience the effects of climate change in order to take action.
Our world is at its peak with innovation and technology. Business innovations supporting renewable energy solutions and sustainable practices are essential to tackle the climate crises on a larger scale. Akshat Rathi (journalist and senior reporter at Bloomberg News) shared how it took him just two weeks to install solar panels on the roof of his childhood home in India, how electricity bills fell, the investment was recovered in just 5 years, and for the next 15 years, has free solar power.
Through several powerful speeches and conversations at the Bloomberg Festival, a common theme was the impact of storytelling. It’s easy to attend conferences and have conversations about the climate crises. But many of us have the privilege to go home and flip a switch or turn the tap for clean running water. Many are aware of the climate crises but can compartmentalize it due to not facing it daily like some. Listening to those who are impacted every day is crucial.
Anya has the opportunity to be spending the next several months studying In various countries. She wants to dedicate some of that time to sharing the stories of those whose voices are otherwise not heard, documenting the experiences of communities directly dealing with the impact of climate change, to hopefully inspire change in others' daily lives.
"My time at the Bloomberg Green Festival reinforced the importance of planting seeds for others to grow. It takes all of us for a more sustainable future, nurturing the seeds of change through action."
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