The latest IPCC climate report makes for nervous reading, and that comes from someone who at least likes to think they’re relatively well versed with the harsh realities that our planet is facing. With yet more stark warnings that rising greenhouse-gas emissions could soon outstrip the ability of many communities to adapt, even I find it easy to get swallowed up in the facts and figures which point to a future filled with doom and gloom.

Yet as I sip on my oat milk latte and semi-guiltily contemplate the carbon footprint of each individual coffee bean, I’m starting to see a faint sliver of hope tentatively emerging from the negative landscape around arguably the hottest issue to face our species.

In amongst the growing polarised push and shove between the climate conscious and equally convicted (and loud) climate deniers, a new breed of young activists and ‘believers’ are poised to have their time in the spotlight—and not in the traditional disruption-focused, super-glue-yourself-to-a-goal-post kind of way we’re used to seeing on the evening news.

Taking the helm of the pro-action climate contingent, these are the people who are sacrificing their time, money and energy to push for change against the relentless political push-back and societal inaction. It goes without saying that Greta Thunberg has become a household name in both camps (much to her chagrin), but she’s not alone in her quest for a brighter future.

Enter stage left: Tori Tsui.

Unlike the heights of Hollywood or the celebrity-cool associated with California, the UK city of Bristol is relatively uncharted territory for the global climate press. Yet it’s home to a rising swath of “eco-stars” including the topic of today's focus, Tori Tsui.

A Hong Kong born intersectional climate activist and mental health advocate, her work to-date has explored the sides of environmentalism that don’t typically get the same air time as some of the ‘sexier’ topics Western media outlets like to cover. Yet her disarming charm coupled with a relatable sense of reality has a way of restoring one’s belief in a future of hope, helping to capture not only her audience in any given moment, but fuel a movement built on positive change.

Tori has previously reflected on how she entered the foray of climate action at a young age whilst she was growing up in Asia. “Hong Kong is not necessarily the greenest place on the planet and being in close proximity to mainland China, which has a lot of pollution and manufacturing, it was something that I felt couldn’t be ignored easily.” Having graduated with a Masters degree in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation from Imperial College London, she has somewhat naturally turned her focus to environmental pursuits, becoming an integral part of the climate debate (even though we're well passed the time to debate if the crisis is really existential or not), and a leading “agent of change” as recognised by Stella McCartney when she sailed to COP25 with a select group of fellow activists.

After a bit of light Googling and reading, it’s pretty clear that environmental activism is not a solo gig, but one that naturally attracts and galvanises like-minded people. It’s arguably why national media outlets often focus on the mass gatherings and disruptive protests that have become synonymous with many of the more outspoken groups, and have painted a flawed societal view of what being an “environmentalist” means.

But that’s only a fraction of the picture. The Bad Activist Collective—a group formed by Tori and two other climate activist pals during the recent pandemic—whilst playing to the same inherent frustration brought about by a lack of change, distils a different flavour of how we can go about rectifying that. What started out as a podcast exploring “the trials and tribulations of trying to be a perfect activist in an utterly imperfect world,” has since grown into a multimedia platform headed up by a number of activists, artists, storytellers and change-makers from around the globe.

What Tori and team have done so well, is to build a community that creates “a space dedicated to connecting activists, justice seekers and change makers…to combat systems of oppression and fight for a better future for people & the planet.” It’s rare to find a place which houses a genuine sense of unanimity and action, rather than a forum of disparate factions fighting to be heard and heard to be fighting.

Whatever your views on how we go about addressing the issues at hand, it’s worth reading up on the Bad Activist Collective here or listening to their podcast on Spotify here or wherever you get your podcasts.

In another reflection of her growing international recognition, Tori also featured on panels including the more recent Climate Hub hosted by The New York Times. Sitting alongside famous names including Emma Watson, Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, and Dominique Palmer, the panel looked at the importance of movements such as STOP CAMBO, the role of collaboration and communication between activists, and how understanding the discourse around climate justice is the precursor to action and mobilisation.

Over recent years, Tori has amassed a significant following world-wide, echoed by her social media presence. As of writing this article, she boasts 40.9K followers on Instagram where she regularly champions local causes that serve communities, mental health awareness and of course, climate justice.

Whereas climate activists are too often portrayed as being liberal agenda-driven nature lovers, Tori’s very demeanour and approach is one of inclusion. She shows time and again how the topic of climate is interlinked with wider societal and social justice issues, and regularly reflects on the importance of self-care and taking time away from technology and social media to combat the constant influx of bad news.

As mental health has slowly become an increasingly accepted topic at the dining room table, Tori has become a forerunner in addressing the area of “eco-anxiety”—an extreme worry about current and future harm to the environment caused by human activity and climate change.

A recent interview with Shades of Noir resonated with the realities many are facing when it comes to even contemplating—let alone acting on—the negative forces shaping our planet.

Tori phrased it well when she said: “I’m trying not to succumb to something called “climate doomism”—a mentality of believing we are doomed to fail and that no matter what we do, no matter how hard we try, the Earth will always be destined to the worst of the climate crisis.“

“I can understand where those sentiments come from. When you look at the news, there are so many doomsday articles; there are so many people who talk about this idea of a countdown. I think this idea of a countdown is actually exacerbating people’s fears in many ways. So when you talk about things like, ‘Oh, we’ve only got 10 years left to solve the climate crisis. Those things don’t help, right? Because they paralyse people and make people feel panicked and that’s what eco-anxiety does.”

“By employing this mindset that it’s not just you and it’s not just us and we need to make sure that as global citizens, we can take into account the inequalities that exist. This is not saying that person has a worse off life and that’s making me feel better. Not at all. Someone else’s suffering should not be an excuse for you feeling as you do about the way things are. It should be a really tender reminder to put things in perspective and realise that with the privileges we have, we have greater responsibility and need to act.”