Meet Steph and Max, the minds behind the viral environmental education platform and climate club, Future Earth.
Q. Can you tell us a bit about yourselves and the work that you do?
Max: I’m a New York-based, urban planner by training—but I’m sort of repurposing those skills to meet the needs of climate communication with Future Earth.
Steph: I’m an environmental advocate and social entrepreneur. In addition to co-founding @FutureEarth, I’m an ambassador for Days For Girls International, The Environmental Working Group, Former Vice President Al Gore’s The Climate Reality Project, and a strategic advisor for Khana. I also recently joined “World War Zero“, a climate change initiative led by Former Secretary of State, John Kerry.
Q. When did you both first get involved in the environmental movement?
Max: I didn’t grow up with environmental values or reverence for nature in the sense that I grew up in Manhattan and I probably associated apples with the grocery store more than a tree. It happened to me in college and through a justice lens.
Steph: I studied Environmental Science in college but really dove into the work after I attended the Climate Reality Leadership Training in Los Angeles in 2016.
Q. What was the catalyst or inspiration for starting Future Earth and how did the two of you come together to bring it to life?
Max: We got set up by a mutual friend, got really heated about the gaps in climate education on social media (a lot has changed in two years), and realized the combination of our skills could really make something great, maybe.
Q. How have your respective backgrounds contributed to your work in climate advocacy?
Max: Climate changes everything, as Naomi Klein says. And that creates space for my mixed bag of skills and experiences to become part of my advocacy. As an urbanist, I’m trained to see things as systems, small or large-scale. As someone with learning disabilities, I know how to make diagrams and infographics that support visual learning. As a designer, I make them more fun to look at.
Steph: I use what I know about social media marketing and building brand awareness and apply that to communicating issues surrounding climate change. We always say the climate crisis has the worst PR. We want to make information accessible and digestible for everyone.
Q. How did the people around you react to you launching Future Earth?
Max: Funny question since we never really “launched”, we just started posting stuff and had like 60 followers. But what happened after that was really cool—before we even thought to ask or promote, our friends were supportive and excited.
Q. What has been the most rewarding and also the most surprising parts of starting Future Earth?
Max: Exactly that—finding a space and an outlet to talk about climate in a way that’s inviting and engaging, because we know how many people are at the doorstep of advocacy and might just need you to meet them there.
Let’s talk waste and the new Package Free x Future Earth Advo-Kit…
Q. What steps have you taken to reduce waste in your own lives?
Max: I’m always doing and trying something new, and lately, it’s sticking my hand in the refuse bins to properly sort other people’s waste. Do other people do this? I saw a meme about it once and felt heard. This has definitely been a quarantine struggle.
Steph: I feel the proudest when choosing better options around the house. There are so many better, more sustainable options to use and I felt like I was able to make impactful changes with minor adjustments.
Q. When curating the Package Free Climate Advo-Kit, what made you choose those products?
Max: This is my first time influencing and I really wanted to do it responsibly. So I have personally been using every single one of these products for a while now.
Steph: Sometimes it’s hard to find a starting point or to know what products are worth the investment. The purpose of this kit is to curate quality products that make it easy for a long time climate advocate or someone just getting started to enjoy.
Q. What’s the most impactful reusable product for your lifestyle personally, or a swap that you can’t live without?
Max: The thing that has likely reduced my footprint and saved me the most money is… installing a heat pump in my house. It’s an efficient heating/cooling system and I still don’t really understand how it works but it does, and no one even noticed the difference!
Steph: I would have to say my stainless steel tumbler. I use it every single day. Any beverage, at home or on the road. It has saved me so many single use bottles and cups.
Q. A portion of the proceeds from the Package Free x Future Earth kits go towards The People Concern in LA. How did you become involved with them?
Steph: I have been volunteering with The People Concern for over 5 years now. I have been able to see firsthand the need in the city of Los Angeles and I know the work they are doing is making a difference. We are so lucky to do what we do and have access to the products we do, so whenever I get the chance to collaborate with a brand, I always make sure to have some kind of charitable initiative.
To wrap things up…
Q. What are some lessons that you’ve learned along the way that have shaped your approach to advocacy?
Max: Don’t get too caught up in feeling guilty about personal choices. There is a lot that individuals can do, and we should live our values, but it’s also important to acknowledge that the Polluters want you to think the waste or plastic crisis is all your fault.
Q. What does the future of Future Earth look like? What’s your biggest goal for the climate club going into 2021?
Max: Take this mission on the road, or at least offline and IRL, as soon as it is safe to do so!
