Meet our planet’s second coolest superhero- Lilly Tong! Let’s be real, we all know the #1 is undoubtedly Greta Thunberg.
Born and raised in Beijing China during a period of rapid urbanization, Lilly became all too familiar with the detriments of the environmental mayhem around her. She emigrated to Canada in 2008 at the impressionable age of 11. During one of her classes, she watched the groundbreaking film- An Inconvenient Truth, and with that came the exposure to endless debates about the existence of climate change. The seeds of awareness kept being planted and the making of a fierce advocate for the Earth was inevitable!
Lilly entered university with aspirations of becoming the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Politics seemed to be an obvious avenue to create the immediate scale of environmental reform that is needed. As most of us can relate, societal expectations, the discomfort of not fitting in with the norm, and the minutiae of university life and navigating her career as an adult blurred her visions and dreams. She graduated with a degree in Software Engineering and briefly worked as a consultant at a multinational firm before transitioning to working as an iOS Engineer. A woman in tech making a six-figure salary should be the dream right?! Wrong! Lilly knew that there was more she felt called to offer and sitting at a desk with a 9-5 job, was not it.
With an unconventional decision to follow her heart, Lilly is channeling her software engineering skills and technical expertise to save the planet. “There is a gaping void in climate education,” Lilly says. “I am determined to use my passion for media creativity to address this necessary tool and accelerate the pace of change we need in the world. I call myself a Climate Creative!”
This courageous move is certainly paying off! Lilly is now utilizing her creativity and technological prowess to develop educational content about climate change, spread the importance of embracing a plant-powered lifestyle, and discuss the intersections of technology and climate solutions. She runs a one-woman show and podcast- Make Peas Not Beef, with the mission of making climate action and plant-based lifestyle fun and relatable to the average person. From her YouTube channel to an informative podcast hosting inspiring guests, Lilly’s advocacy has changed the minds of her climate-change-denying family! Better yet, some of her family friends in China are now plant-based!
There is no stopping this fierce ally for the planet and there’s so much more to come. As the first-ever female, Asian, environmental activist podcast host, Lilly envisions expanding her reach by filling the void of cultural representation in the climate movement. Multilingual versions of her podcast episodes, educational videos, lighthearted yet informative comedic shorts, panel discussions, you name it!
A diverse movement yields unique solutions from perspectives that we wouldn’t have recognized otherwise. When asked about her thoughts on the dearth of Asian representation in environmental movements, Lilly eloquently said-
“I’ve often thought about why the Asian community is not as vocal about climate change. I believe that as immigrants, we are confronted with a plethora of other issues like racism, xenophobia, and economic equality. It can be challenging to think about the well-being of entities outside of our immediate, individual needs. This holds for many communities who have emigrated to America and Canada. I hope my presence and advocacy is just the first step in inviting more of my community into the conversation.”
Lilly will be commencing her Master of Public Policy program at Harvard Kennedy School starting in September 2022, and she is excited to delve into climate and energy policy in hope of making a difference.
I think it’s safe to say that we share the same hope as Lilly Tong. Through her journey experiencing a dimmed-down light to her passion shining bright, the Earth has gained a steadfast warrior!
Resources: Make Peas Not Beef Website, Instagram, YouTube
