music
Global K-pop fan activism is influencing environmental policies
K-pop enthusiasts worldwide leverage their community power to advocate for environmental changes, influencing significant corporate and public decisions on climate issues.
In short:
- Kpop4Planet, started by fans in 2021, effectively engaged in environmental causes, including a significant petition against Hyundai over coal energy usage.
- The group's efforts have prompted changes in the entertainment industry towards more sustainable practices, including eco-friendly album productions.
- K-pop fans, known for their organizational skills on social media, are now recognized as a potent force in climate activism, advocating for broader environmental awareness and policy shifts.
Key quote:
"I spotted how K-pop fans can be seen as a potential power. We think we can harness that power for climate change action."
— Nurul Sarifah, co-founder of Kpop4Planet
Why this matters:
K-pop fans have organized themselves into a force capable of mobilizing quickly and effectively. They've flooded social media platforms with campaigns urging major companies to adopt more sustainable practices or to reconsider their environmental impacts. This activism extends to pressuring governments to implement stricter environmental regulations, demonstrating their commitment to leveraging pop culture for the greater good.
Senegal musician Maal named UN ambassador on desertification
Since 2003, Senegalese singer-songwriter Baaba Maal has been committed to various development challenges in Africa, working with different U.N. family organizations.
The poignant music of melting ice
Listen: How meteorologists cover climate change
Meteorologists are seeing the effects of climate change in real time, as extreme weather events and disasters become more common. We talk with three meteorologists about how they try to talk about climate change, how they see our world changing and what pushback they get from skeptics.
Listen: Climate change affecting Wisconsin trout species, research finds
A new study explores how climate change is affecting brook and brown trout in Wisconsin.
8 artists who are grappling with climate change and imagining a better world
What does a pencil have to say about the future? What does a song, a smell, a coyote, or a lush Haitian garden teach us about how to live in a world in flux? Artists are examining these questions as they try to make sense of climate change.
Listen: A changing US diet is affecting climate change
A recent study explored the carbon footprint of what Americans eat and how it has changed in recent years. We talk about how the changes have affected greenhouse gases with the researcher who led the study.