Over the last decade, natural disasters have become increasingly severe, frequent, and dangerous and have impacted more and more people around the world. Wildfires have ravaged nations and terrorized towns; coastal ecosystems have been damaged — some beyond repair, impacting our fishing industries, tourism, and other wildlife; and island nations and coastal communities have seen their land wash away and disappear as if it was never there. But even as more people take notice of the changes wrought by the climate crisis, our governments’ responses have been lackluster and our media landscape has failed to reflect the reality on the ground.
These changes have already been affecting low-income, coastal, and Indigenous communities for decades, even as community leaders have called for decisive international climate action — calls that have too often gone unheeded. While it is understandably easy to turn to despair amid this crisis, those who are most affected by these changes do not have that luxury, and are instead seeking out innovative, community-based climate solutions. Global Voices hopes to promote these stories of resilience by reporting on environmental stories through an intersectional lens that prioritizes local knowledge and experiences.
To that end, our community has established the Green Voices initiative — a collective of environmentally focused journalists, translators, and stakeholders who seek to use our global perspective to raise awareness about environmental issues and those affected by them. Green Voices meets virtually twice a month to discuss environmental news in our communities, identify underrepresented voices, plan our coverage of these topics, and offer support in a field that can often feel overwhelming. In a true Global Voices spirit, we believe that insightful journalism is made possible by community, companionship, and collaboration.
Each month, approximately 15–20 percent of Global Voices’ articles address environmental challenges or advocacy efforts around the world. We are committed to sharing underreported stories about the climate crisis and environmental exploitation, with a particular focus on rural communities and local initiatives guided by women and Indigenous groups aimed at preserving, bolstering, or rehabilitating the environment. We leverage Global Voices’ international community to report on issues that are often reduced to abstract data with nuance, humanity, and a local perspective.
Some stories that have grown out of Green Club collaborations include “How a swimming pool became Puerto Rico's symbol of climate change and corruption,” “Kanal Istanbul, Turkey's Middle Corridor, and the Belt and Road Initiative,” and “How Assamese Villages use traditional wisdom to guide climate preparedness.” Our stories explore these issues from an intersectional perspective, revealing how environmental issues can impact women, youth, people with disabilities, and vulnerable populations, and can exacerbate existing inequalities.
If you would like to participate in Green Voices or join the discussion, email our green club coordinator Sydney Allen!
See some of our recent environmental stories below.
Stories about Green Voices from January, 2022
Why Beijing’s artificial snow at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games is stirring controversy
The Winter Olympic Games start in Beijing, on February 4: For the first time, all of the snow at the Games will be entirely man-made.
Seed exchange in Colombia promotes traditional knowledge and food sovereignty
Different varieties of potatoes and corn, among other foods, are exchanged to recover ancestral ways of consumption.
How Assamese Villages use traditional wisdom to guide climate preparedness
For credible early warning systems for natural calamities, villages in the northeast Indian state of Assam rely on the observations of elders based on their traditional experiences and folk beliefs.
Passengers stranded at Istanbul Airport stage a protest
Videos of passengers demanding accommodation made rounds on Twitter after thousands of travellers were stranded at the new Istanbul airport as a result of bad weather conditions and cancelled flights.
Georgian PM gifted his wife part of a state-owned forest
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has come under fire after the government leased almost 6,000 square meters of publicly owned forest in the resort town of Bakuriani to his wife.
Ibex in the Yemeni civilization: a historical symbolism being revived
Numbers of the ibex in Yemen shrank drastically over the past three decades due to over-hunting, especially in Hadhramout and Shabwa, with fears of it going extinct.
Australian town of Onslow hits record 50.7 degrees Celsius, as global warming rolls on relentlessly
A disaster film occurring daily in real time... Rising ocean temps are inextricably linked to massive extreme weather/climate events, destabilization of Antarctic ice shelves and massive sea level rise
An overview of Indonesia’s coal export ban and Asia’s energy crisis
All coal mining companies in Indonesia are required to reserve 25 percent of their coal supply for domestic sale, which they have been shirking since coal prices skyrocketed internationally in 2021.
Women weavers in Assam weather the pandemic and climate change through community groups
Women across 210 villages in Assam have created a network of self-help groups to promote traditional skills such as weaving and gardening to supplement their family income during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Typhoon Rai aftermath highlights Duterte’s sluggish disaster response
Duterte and his officials have failed to respond to the crisis, deflecting blame with excuses such as depleted governmental funds, media underreporting, and impassable roads.
How e-bikes can promote cycling in Tbilisi
One factor that could soon change this is the increasing prevalence of e-bikes.
Typhoon Rai overwhelms the Philippines’ Queen City of the South
A month after Typhoon Rai rampaged through the Philippines, residents of Metro Cebu continue to struggle to overcome the devastation brought by the storm on December 16, 2021.
Heavy snowfall kills tourists at a hill station in Pakistan
At least 23 people, including women and children have died in cars that were stranded due to heavy snowfall in the Murree hill station area near the capital of Pakistan.
Trinidad and Tobago residents’ response to proposed amendments to fireworks legislation? Enforce existing laws
"As it stands, the draft fireworks bill is unacceptable. According to one source, the draft sounds like it was written by the sellers of fireworks themselves."
Heavy floods leave over 30,000 displaced in northern Sumatra, Indonesia
After a week of heavy rain on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, more than 32,000 people have been displaced and three children have died due to flash floods.
The paradox threatening Ukraine’s post-coal future
It is hard to imagine an energy transition in Ukraine, which frequently appears to be facing an energy crisis. But with a deadline looming, the discussion needs to begin today.
Twitter turns white as people share images of snow in Kashmir
Snow-clad mountains, scenic valleys and houses draped in snow — these are glimpses of winter in India's Kashmir region, as shared by Twitter users.
In Trinidad and Tobago, baby, it's cold outside
A North American cold front brought the chilly weather, with the coolest temperature recorded via a calibrated thermometer being 17.63°C, and an uncalibrated thermometer recording a minimum low of 15°C.
Understanding monsoon culture in Nepal
Nepali Sanskritist and scholar Gautama Vajra Vajracharya explains his studies on the Vedic frog hymns, and the meaning of the name of Vasudeva, father of Hindu deity Kṛiṣhṇa.
Justice elusive for murdered Indigenous Colombian reporter
Indigenous reporters like José Abelardo Liz are convinced of the importance of communication produced from the land they want to set free.
New colonization in Russia’s Arctic threatens indigenous rights
Pressure is growing on indigenous activists from Russia’s north, Siberia, and far east, even though the groups are almost totally uninvolved in politics in the literal sense.