Matthew Chang – A Teen Climate Activist’s Perspective on the Cumulative Power of Action

In Making Waves Conversations by Mark Sylvester
 / 
05/17/2023
Share
Tweet
Share
Reddit
Email

A Teen Climate Activist’s Perspective on the Cumulative Power of Action

At first glance, an innocuous cold email may not seem like a powerful seed of change. But for Matthew, it has led to a climate movement and years of public service. In this conversation, Matthew explores the “compounding” effect of small actions, from personal interactions with government officials to starting a school garden, and how these minor steps of progress can exponentially blossom into a larger crusade. He hopes his personal journey, from student to organization leader, can encourage and inspire other young changemakers to take action on their beliefs.

Matthew Chang

A 16-year-old climate education champion, Matthew Chang leads Climate Garden, a global movement of over two hundred schools and a thousand students, and was recognized by the Orange County Register as one of its 125 Most Influential People of 2022 and by the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce as a 40 Under 40 listmaker. Matthew serves on the City of Irvine Green Ribbon Environmental Committee as its first student member at large. He is deeply involved with local community leaders like Congresswoman Katie Porter and the Irvine City Council to empower other youth activists and promote climate reform. Matthew hosts Sustainable Future on Spotify, broadcasting weekly interviews with changemakers to an audience spanning four continents.

He currently serves as class president of Woodbridge High School and is passionate about using public speaking to better the world.

More Resources

Upcoming Salon Conversations

Stay informed, like our Facebook page

Image

Chad Lane – The Adaptive Age: AI’s New Frontier – The Evolution of AI: Learning, Adapting, Transforming

Oct 4, 2023 04:00 PM in Pacific Time
Adaptive AI in the workplace is heralding a new era of technical transformation, fundamentally reshaping how businesses operate and innovate. Unlike traditional AI models that rely on static algorithms, adaptive AI learns and evolves in real-time, mirroring human-like flexibility and responsiveness.
Speaker bio & Register for this talk
Image

Tony Hunter – Reimagining the Global Food System: Feeding 10 Billion in 2050

Oct 18, 2023 04:00 PM in Pacific Time
Tony Hunter will engage in a conversation about reimagining the global food system. He will challenge conventional methods and explore innovative approaches to sustainably and equitably feed a growing global population.
Speaker bio & Register for this talk
Image

William Skinner – California doesn’t have a water problem – it has a storage and distribution deficiency.

November 1, 2023 04:00 PM in Pacific Time
In recent years, California has faced severe droughts that have further highlighted the inadequacy of its water infrastructure. As a result, many experts argue that California doesn’t have a water problem per se but rather a storage and distribution deficiency.
Speaker bio & Register for this talk
Image

Debra Hopkins – Breaking The Chains: Empowering creativity and community through art and connection

Nov 15, 2023 04:00 PM in Pacific Time
The power of art is immense. It can evoke emotions of all kinds, from the most profound sorrows to the highest joys, simultaneously or separately. For many people, art is a form of therapy that goes beyond time and space.
Speaker bio & Register for this talk
Image

Wendy Whitman – Evil Obsessions: Unraveling Our Fascination with Crime

Dec 13, 2023 04:00 PM in Pacific Time
The “true crime” phenomenon has never been more evident. From television series to books to documentaries, there seems to be a never-ending fascination with crime, specifically murder. Serial killers are a constant topic of conversation, whether in the news or in fictional shows and novels. In interview after interview, Wendy Whitman has been asked to explain this obsession.
Speaker bio & Register for this talk
Image

Charles Feinstein – Addressing the Climate Emergency: Economic and Policy Options and Making Polluters Pay

Jan 17, 2024 04:00 PM in Pacific Time
Climate change is the defining challenge of our time, with global consequences affecting the natural environment, basic livelihoods, and nearly every sector of human activity. The interview will briefly review the current scientific understandings that define climate change as a critical threat.
Speaker bio & Register for this talk