Like the song says, the children are our future. And as our planet faces dire challenges, youth involvement in activism is more important than ever. So how do we inspire young activists to spark change?
WELCOME TO THE DARIN OLIEN SHOW
Genesis Butler is only 14 years old, but she’s sparking change that will span generations.
As a teenager, Genesis Butler was the youngest person ever to give a TEDx talk where she spoke on the negative impact of animal agriculture on the environment. Some say her instinctive need for change comes from her DNA. As the great-niece of civil rights leader Cesar Chavez, Genesis is no stranger to activism. At just six years old, she decided she no longer wanted to eat animal products. Then she inspired her entire family to join her in the vegan lifestyle. She carried that passion with her throughout her youth, and is now a well-known speaker championing change and inspiring the next generation of activists.
I was so stoked to speak with Genesis, not only because of her plant-based lifestyle, but about how we can collectively inspire young people to get involved. Essentially, she gave me the formula to inspire more young activists. Genesis is a real-life example of walking the walk. Her non-profit Genesis for Animals is a platform for her animal activism. And she has been getting schools all over California to incorporate more plant-based meals into their lunch programs. As involved as she is, Genesis understands that meat production is directly related to the climate crisis. And she works tirelessly to educate other young people and activists about this as well.
Activism is not just for old hippies like me, guys. We must get the young people involved. Young activists are so effective at inspiring real actionable change. In fact, I was blown away by the number of young people that reached out to me after Down to Earth aired on Netflix. They all wanted to know what they could do to get involved. Well, to all those that reached out, listen up. Genesis is going to tell you how to do just that.
ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
[00:11:42] How to inspire the younger generation to go plant-based
[00:13:38] Awareness to spark change
[00:17:53] Turning awareness to action when it comes to climate
[00:22:48] The impact of group activism
[00:32:24] What Genesis hopes for the future of activism
LINKS:
Youth Climate Save
Genesis for Animals
Follow Genesis on Instagram - @genesisbutler_
Follow Youth Climate Save on Instagram - @youthclimatesave
Watch Genesis Butler’s TEDx Talk
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Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Podcast Intro
Darin: You are listening to the Darin Olien Show. I’m Darin. I spent the last 20 years devoted to improving health, protecting the environment, and finding ways to live a more sustainable life. In this podcast, I have honest conversations with people that inspire me. I hope that through their knowledge and unique perspectives they’ll inspire you too. We talk about all kinds of topics, from amping up your diets to improving your well-being to the mind-blowing stories behind the human experience and the people that are striving to save us and our incredible planet. We even investigate some of life’s fatal conveniences, those things that we are told might be good for us but totally aren’t. So here’s to making better choices in the small tweaks in your life that amount to big changes for you and the people around you and the planet. Let’s do this. This is my show, the Darin Olien Show.
[00:01:11] Guest Intro - Genesis Butler
Darin: Hey, everybody, this is Darin Olien. This is The Darin Olien Show.
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