World Turtle Day! Climate Crusader–Kevin Patel, Why The Climate Daily 50/100 Reforestation Campaign Matters to Us

 WORLD TURTLE DAY 2023

Happy world turtle day! World Turtle Day was started in 1990, and since 2000, the American Tortoise Rescue has been its global sponsor. The purpose of World Turtle Day is to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and to encourage human action to help them survive and thrive.  World Turtle Day is among the most effective of species awareness days in increasing the search for information on turtles online. 

Turtle and tortoise lovers show their appreciation of the special day by taking “shellfies” and “shellebrating” with events and shares on social media. Millions of turtle lovers in the U.S., Canada, Pakistan, Borneo, India, Australia, the UK, Greece and many other countries worldwide now observe the day. This year’s theme “Turtles Rock!” encourages a worldwide audience to see turtles as more than just rocks with legs. This is why World Turtle Day matters to us: Turtles and tortoises thrived for 200 million years, but now because of climate change, habitat destruction, and other human activities, they’re rapidly disappearing. About 61% of turtles worldwide are threatened or already extinct. According to experts, turtles are the most threatened of the major groups of vertebrates, more so than birds, mammals and fish.

Click on the link in the Deeper Dive section of this story at theclimate.org/episodes to get your #WorldTurtleDay Party pack! #WorldTurtleDay! Happy World Turtle Day, everybody! 

DEEPER DIVE: World Turtle Day, American Tortoise Rescue, Wikipedia

CLIMATE CRUSADER, KEVIN PATEL

Kevin Patel is a 22-year-old climate activist and a first generation Indian American. Growing up in Los Angeles, he first got involved in the climate movement when he experienced heart palpitations and researched the dangers of air pollution in his city. He is the founder and executive director of OneUpAction, an intersectional, youth-led organization that provides resources to help youth climate advocates fight climate change in their local communities. 

OneUpAction on September 23, 2019, during the UN week in New York City, originally as an organization to amplify BIPOC voices and leadership. His goal was to empower communities to take local action. Now, our team and partners work tirelessly to fight for a regenerative future by providing resources and support to marginalized youth. OneUpAction does this through three programs—Action Incubator Fellowship, Youth Innovators Fellowship, and the Youth Solutions in Government Program.

Why does Kevin Patel and OneUpAction matter to us?  Because he’s part of a group of powerful intersectional youth advocates who realized that just participating in climate strikes, rallies, and legislative advocacy wasn’t enough to solve the climate crisis. His work as an activist has been featured in publications such as Vox, the Los Angeles Times, and Men’s Health Magazine. Follow him on Twitter @imkevinjpatel or Instagram @imkevinjpatel. 

DEEPER DIVE: Kevin Patel, OneUpAction

THE CLIMATE DAILY 50/100 REFORESTATION CAMPAIGN, OR, THINGS JUST GOT REAL

For many years, scientists have been warning that the rise in global temperature must be kept to below 1.5⁰C above pre-industrial levels in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change. It’s so important a benchmark, it’s been a rallying cry in the climate activist community since the Paris Accords of 2015.

According to a report released last week by the World Metrological Organization, that limit is about to be breached. It estimates there is a 66% chance that global temperatures will breach the 1.5⁰C limit by 2027. Depending upon who you talk to, that’s either three or thirteen years sooner than predicted. That’s not good. But there is hope. In the form of trees. Trillions of them.

The reality is trees are currently the best technology for capturing carbon dioxide, that greenhouse gas most responsible for global warming. It’s possible human beings will develop and scale up a technology that can rival the efficiency of Nature. But until then, our best hope is to plant a trillion trees by 2030, or sooner. That’s why we’re asking you to join our crowdfunding campaign—and our 30 tree planting partners to plant 10,000 trees at one time in one of seven regions around the world. Of course the tree-planting professionals will do all the planting.

That’s right. Join our other 201 crowdfunder partners and make a one time donation of $50 or $100 and become a climate champion. Go to www.theclimate.org, and at the top of the page, click on the words, “Climate Champion” and donate today. What’s a climate champion? A Climate Champion is someone who sees the impacts of climate change, experiences those changes themselves, and knows we cannot continue the way we have.  They’re someone who loves our green, blue and beautiful planet and wants the things they love about it to be there – just as green, blue and beautiful – for their children and their children’s children. 

A climate champion is one willing to take action to help change the current direction – so our fears don’t come to pass. We’re proud to be a champion for the earth and for the climate.  Come join us! Donate today. Go to www.theclimate.org, and at the top of the page, click on the words, “Climate Champion” and donate today

DEEPER DIVE: WMO Report,  50/100 Campaign, Trillion Tree Project