Just along the average US highway is an estimate of 1,457 pieces of litter.

Cigarette stubs, styrofoam coffee cups, bent straws, and plastic candy wraps. Amongst the greenery of shrubs and trees is the ever-present lingering of nonbiodegradable waste withering the flora and endangering the fauna.

With the increase of poor air quality, hazardous chemicals in water supplies, and forests ablaze with flames, the Earth is heading into a deteriorated future of unsafe environments—and the youth is keen on taking action.

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While social media has developed somewhat of a negative reputation in recent events, it has also led to the spread of awareness and activism, especially among teens seeking to be heard, hoping for change.

Young voices are utilizing the wide network social media sites provide, its popular hashtags, and its eye-catching thumbnails in order to spread their message to older generations and a diverse range of communities.

Here’s 5 young activists making big waves on social media.

Xiye Bastida

Xiye Bastida, a Mexican-American New Yorker and climate activist, is bringing a new light to how people approach environmental awareness, and is including indigenous and immigrant visibility within her movement.

Bastida crafts powerful, striking posts on Instagram, posting with hashtags such as #LaterIsTooLate to incite action amongst her followers and preach the importance of the present in looming matters such as the crumbling planet and dying ecosystems.

Photo by Xiye Bastida from Wikimedia Commons

Alongside her personal account, Bastida, as co-founder, links and promotes the Re-Earth Initiative, an international nonprofit organization that redefines climate activism in the context of social justice.

She constantly strives to educate the youth and connect her campaign to a large range of communities.

Francisco Vera

Francisco Vera, a 14-year-old Colombian climate activist and UNICEF named first youth advocate for environmental and climate action in Latin America and the Caribbean, is fighting for a greener, more sustainable future for children.

Through his work with the Guardians for Life organization and his social media updates, Vera has been addressing the disastrous effects of an increase in hurricanes, floods and droughts that are devastating Latin American communities.

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Furthermore, Vera has worked with UNICEF on negotiations of the subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and is inspiring change on the international level, bringing his fresh perspective on such a crucial cause.

Daze Aghaji

Daze Aghaji, an environmental regeneration activist, is the youngest-ever candidate for the European Parliament, using her social media presence and engaging Instagram Lives to incite hope for climate change rather than the pessimistic, doomsday narrative that is typically painted.

Through her over 21K followers, Aghaji posts announcements regarding fundraisers, raises awareness for links to important campaigns such as Cities for a Fossil Fuel Treaty, and shares her involvement with protests regarding climate change.

Aghaji consistently seeks to ignite ambitions and optimism in her audience, collaborating with communities to deal with environmental issues she finds in her own city of London.

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Raeesah Noor-Mahomed

Raeesah Noor-Mahomed, a 22-year-old climate activist from South Africa, can be found through her presence on Instagram, where she brings an intersectional viewpoint on the growing environmental emergency through her work to increase the accessibility of activist organizations within African communities.

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Noor-Mahomed has also written online articles, such as within the Daily Maverick, discussing her high school boycott to demand that South Africa’s environmental department declare a climate emergency.

She is versatile with the platforms she engages with and utilizes many different forms of media in order to make changes among the youth within her communities and internationally.

Kevin Patel

Kevin Patel, diagnosed with severe cardiac issues due to Los Angeles’s poor air quality, is the founder of OneUpAction International, a youth-led organization that provides marginalized teens with resources to contribute to climate change.

In his posts, he curates bold graphics to garner an audience for accessible environmental commissions, climate councils, and summits.

Photo by Sim-Marcel-Bilal from Wikimedia Commons

Using his powerful voice and large base, Patel has promoted ways to advocate against fossil fuels as well as created a safe space for marginalized communities.

He uses his platform to introduce to his followers a large range of social justice issues, branching off from his eco-friendly mission into other serious topics that affect communities.

It's Time to Take Action

While environmental concerns are certainly still increasingly prevalent as the new year begins, it's important not to lose hope. A conscious generation of teens is rebelling against the pollution and destruction of our planet, paving the way for a green future.

By following these social media accounts and a plethora of other activist youth, you can take a step forward, educate yourself and others, and contribute to a movement worth fighting for.