“Climate change
predictions I read
about in university
are already
happening”
AGENDA
To support World Environment Day on June 5, we asked five eco-celebrities to share what they think
needs to happen to stop or, better still, reverse environmental damage. From planting trees to diving with
sharks, these women are using their big profiles to make a big difference, and urging us to join the causeBORN
WARRIORS
MAGDALENA ROZE
meteorologist, TV presenter, Planet Ark ambassador
and author of Happy & WholeI started working with Planet Ark six or seven years
ago when they approached me to be an ambassador for
National Tree Day. It’s funny because I’ve been
pestering people about the environment since I was
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in primary school, creating herb gardens and trying
to get the other kids involved in various sorts of
environmental initiatives and education.
In the few years I’ve been a meteorologist, I’ve seen
a massive shift in the weather. The climate change
predictions I was reading about in university are
already happening. They aren’t predictions anymore.
We’re using more fossil fuels
than ever and at the same
ȱ Ȃȱ Ĵȱ ȱ
rainforests, the very
thing that has been
helping us out. Trees
help combat climate
change by locking up
carbon and giving us
fresh, clean air, but we
also need them to provide
shade and habitat for nativewildlife to prevent the loss of biodiversity – a major
threat to life as we know it. Millions of trees have been
planted because of Planet Ark National Tree Day and
it’s a fun, hands-on way to care for the planet.
I’m grateful to be in a position in the media where
I can raise awareness around lifestyle habits, but
there are everyday things all of us can do. You
don’t have to overhaul your life. I think when we
look at environmental issues and particularly
big-picture things like climate change, it can feel very
overwhelming. But if we break it down to small
things that are very achievable, it really doesn’t
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great because it invites us to get back into nature,
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ěȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ǯȱȱȱ¢ȱǰȱȱ ȱ
spark a conversation with kids, because kids are the
custodians of the land.MAGGIE Q
actress and animal activist working with People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and WildAidAbout six years ago, WildAid reached out to me to
meet with them knowing we may have had similar
objectives in the animal-rights space. They were
correct. The group focuses on reducing demand for
wildlife products with the goal of ending the illegal32 ELLE AUSTRALIA