Elaine Xiao
2024 Youth Climate Activism Award - Video Entry
Elaine is a 16 year old from Ontario and we think you’ll agree her video entry is incredibly inspiring!
“The message I embody and the message I want to deliver is one that of mutualism. When we take action, no matter small how an action it is, we all benefit and that message needs to shine through as we fight for our planet.”
From Left to Right: Bonnie Wigmore - Vice Principal at Laurel Heights Secondary School, Elaine Xiao proudly holing her YCAA Certificate and Greg Todd - Guidance Counsellor and Head of Guidance at Laurel Heights Secondary School.
You can find the MISM website ➜ here.
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As part of the submissions application we asked participants to answer these 3 questions in addition to their essay or video.
What future goals do you have around your environmental and climate work, and do you have any future projects in mind?
For me, environmental work is meaningful when it touches people and creates a broad impact in vulnerable and crucial corners of the globe. In the same way I raise awareness on the social justice issues I care about across my social media platforms, and advocated for my school community in a recent trustee election, I hope my actions inspire other youth to not be afraid and realize the profound impact they can have with mutualistic environmental action. I want to make it clear that we have this immense, incredible power to hold large actors accountable, shed light on issues, and move people’s hearts for the betterment of our world despite—or perhaps, because of—our youth.
I’ve had the pleasure of engaging with youth from around the world in important discourse (in conferences such as Harvard Model United Nations), from which I have gained an understanding of global communities’ importantly unique experiences, environmental perspectives, and passions towards eco issues in their regions. As such, I am communicating with peers in developing countries to lay down Mism chapters and bring our platform’s valuable, practical “sharing-model” to more communities, combating a multitude of these issues.
I have also been proactive in communicating with municipal officials, like our City Councillor and developing relations with other governmental figures, to mobilize change in our region effectively and publicly.
As a little update at around the time I’m submitting this application: today is the first day of Mism’s school-board-wide Book & Battery Drive, and we have reached a total item count of over 2000 items. In just one school day. Incredible. This is without a doubt thanks to our team’s hard work with promotion, outreach and meticulous logistical detailing, and most of all, our dynamic and passionate collaboration with students at the schools we are holding the drive at. I am involving the youth of tomorrow in this collective fight for change, and as a “youth of tomorrow” myself, I cannot wait to take what more meaningful actions I can.
If you could share with us one message of hope for our planet, what would it be?
As the inspiration for my naming of my non-profit Mism, the single word I want to spread far and wide is mutualism. There is mutualism when we take action for the environment, no matter how small our actions are. We live together on a collective body that is beautiful and abundant, and when we make efforts and demonstrate our passions for the cause to preserve, it inspires more of that and creates a cycle of positive change.
Who or what inspires you to work on climate change?
🎶 “What was I made foooor?”
This line begins the chorus of one of my favourite songs, “What Was I Made For?” by one of the most incredible contemporary artists, Billie Eilish. (Watch Video)
Billie is a leader in climate action, often passionately calling out wastefulness in the music industry. Her 2021 album Happier Than Ever was also evocative in this cause; the physical vinyls for the album were composed fully of recycled vinyl and sustainable shrink-wrap made from sugar cane. Last year, she also supported the Music Decarbonization Project, using a solar farm to help power her concert’s technical demands.
Despite potentially losing out on profit she could have been making from her album if she had cut corners and stayed with typical methods of production, and despite incurring extra expenses because of her green initiatives, she decides not to do that, and stands up for what she believes in. She inspires me to speak up, be innovative, and not settle for the situations in the status quo. I know that many others are inspired by Billie, and I hope that they will similarly use their platforms for good and take action.
Unlike Billie Eilish, I definitely Was Not Made For being a music artist (God, if you heard me sing…), but I definitely Was Made For being a leader in the fight for our planet. With unapologetic advocacy, youth engagement, and the mindset that when we come together we spark mutualism, we can do anything.
Thank you YCAA for providing youth with the opportunity to demonstrate our environmental leadership.