Just before taking a family trip seven years ago, to Iran the teacher at Sophia Kianni secondary school stunned her with a statistic: By 2030, temperatures within the hottest parts of the world are expected to rise by more than twice the world average.
When Kianni reached in Tehran – where all of her aunts, uncles and grandmother live – she had an even bigger surprise: her family had no idea. Kianni, now 19, tells “They did not know anything about change of climate.” “Partly because they couldn’t find the information available online in Farsi.”
Kianni, who is bilingual, has started translating English articles on climate change into Farsi and sending them to his family via WhatsApp. She still remembers how sad they were to learn of the state of the planet and how scared for its future.
Since then, Kianni with the help of a global army of volunteer translators who call themselves “Climate Cardinals” has helped translate 6,000 pages of critical climate information into Farsi and other languages.
Kianni, who founded the group says, “My experience with my family was not unique.” “The ability not to get climate information is a widespread problem that affects [many] people.”
Climate Cardinals, now an international non-profit organization, is made up of 8,000 translators who all help make climate information more accessible. Most of them are young volunteers and speak more than 100 languages – from Kanuri to Hausa to Bulgarian. Kianni, who is a freshman at the university, believes her organization’s mission – to ensure that everyone, no matter what language they speak, can learn more about climate change – is essential to resolve the crisis.
“People unable to access sufficient research and information on climate change due to barriers of language are the most exposed to its effects,” says she. “As a result, these communities are left speechless and often lack access to the research and information they need to advocate for climate change alleviation and prevention.”
The organization operates in 41 countries, where volunteers run local chapters. Chapters are often led by students, who help select documents for translation, focusing on resources that will benefit their communities.
For very technical or long documents, the group’s volunteer base works with professional translators. Climate Cardinals also has a committee of professional translators with several hundred members to help with proofreading. Once the documents are authenticated, they are uploaded to the Climate Cardinals website for everyone to access.
Because the organization operates remotely, Kianni says there has been an increase in the number of volunteers during the pandemic. She said, “[The activists] need a way that they will continue their climate work effectively, from their homes safety.” “The pandemic has taught me how to better leverage social media to mobilize [other] young people around the world to work in climate advocacy.”
Ahead of Earth Day, Kianni moderated a panel on climate change crises, COVID-19 and nuclear challenges in Pacific and First Nations communities. “To protect the health and lives of everyone, fighting change in climate is important including those most suffering from the climate, such as communities of color,” says she. “Climate change education makes us ready to understand environmental issues in our groups and how they influence us.”
