How photography and storytelling can turn apathy into climate action

I’ve spent most of my career as a storyteller, using stunning visual imagery and compelling personal stories to move people. Moving people is exactly what's needed to save our planet. We cannot afford to stand still any longer, let alone go backwards.

Too often, the very real threat of climate change can feel either distant or overwhelming -- robbing the allies we need of their sense of urgency and their drive to take action. But I've seen how storytelling can turn apathy into action. Building connection through storytelling is the key to unlocking critical climate action in this decade.

In 2017, I published a photograph of an emaciated polar bear on a barren arctic tundra using it as an entry point into a conversation about climate change. Millions of people saw this image and the resulting global dialogue provided unprecedented insight into the work still necessary to create a large enough movement to activate solutions.