Bonus: Running and Climate Change with the United Nations Humanitarian Office

An exploration of how climate change is impacting the sport we love and what others are individually doing to change it.

This bonus episode is a collaboration with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), for World Humanitarian Day (WHD) 2021 to bring awareness to the critical conversations happening right now. First, through the storytelling of Fernanda Maciel on how she left her job as an environmental lawyer and now annually creates her “white flow” campaigns; a combination of incredible feats of running to drive awareness and enact change focused on environmental sustainability. Next, a discussion with Marinel Ubaldo, a climate justice activist from the Philippines who tells the story of how the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 impacted her community and the realities that global climate change is negatively impacting the world’s most vulnerable communities. Then, we’ll do a breakdown and call to action on how you can take immediate next steps on being an active participant in being a running climate activist.

Meet the guests:

Fernanda Maciel

• Athlete ambassador for #TheHumanRace, the 2021 WHD global climate action challenge
• One time winner, nine time competitor in TDS Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc
• Top 5 in SkyRunning World Championship
• Top 3 in the World Ranking in 2018/2019
• Practiced as an environmental lawyer and helped with outdoor education through Outward Bound International scheme
• Founder of White Flow, completing iconic runs which promote environmental and social issues around the world

Marinel Ubaldo

• Advocate for climate justice and the environment
• One of the founders of the Youth Leaders for Environmental Action Federation, a youth-led organization based in Eastern Visayas that aims to mentor youth individuals and organizations in climate advocacy
• Has spoken to world leaders on behalf of Filipinos during the opening of the UNFCCC COP 21 in Paris and in UNFCCC COP 25 in Madrid
• Her global campaign with Amnesty International calling on the Philippine government to ensure relocation of Super-Typhoon Haiyan survivors generated 528,070 actions from around the world

Calls to action:

1. Engage in COP26- read about climate change, learn about it, share about it, talk about it with people you know. The more we talk about it, the better. Check out the UN Foundation initiative sayitwithscience.org(although remember we want to keep the humanity in with our education, facts don't always work)
2. Consider empathy by proximity, how can you connect yourself to people who are going through this to get motivated to take action- donate to Marinel's Go Fund Me to support her journey and other front line climate activists
3. Believe in and affirm the concept of individual accountability. Also believe that your actions can inspire others on a small or large scale (and be sure you take your trash with you when you leave natural environments!) 
4. 1.  

Thank you Tracksmith for donating $1000 to Marinel's Go Fund Me. Yet another example of Tracksmith's generosity and desire to make change.

Learn more

#TheHumanRace

The climate change action venn diagram from How To Save A Planet

List of organizations Running Realized and Tracksmith have donated to throughout thi