She has worked in Thai-
land, Laos, Nepal, and
elsewhere on the social
impacts of deforestation,
landscape restoration,
and climate mitigation.
Sato, 25, is from suburban
Tokyo but now studies in
the U.K. “Climate change
is not just an issue related
to the environment,”
she says. “It exacerbates
social exclusion, conflict,
classism, racism. We
all have to take part
in climate justice.”
TOM JAMIESONMAYUMI
SATO
ALEXANDRIA
VILLASEÑOR
To show support
for Greta Thunberg’s
school strikes in Stock-
holm, Villaseñor, then
13, began keeping her
own Friday vigils out-
side the United Nations
in New York City, where
she lives. From that
solitary beginning in
December 2018, brav-
ing the cold rains, she’s
gone on to found Earth
Uprising, a climate
education group.
VICTORIA WILL76 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC