Promoting Environmental Advocacy through Social Media: Gia Chinchilla's Activism
In the heart of Los Angeles, climate activist and clean energy consultant Gianella Chinchilla is making waves with her innovative approach to urban development. Chinchilla, a 24-year-old native of the city, is spearheading the integration of biophilic design—incorporating natural elements into city planning and architecture—to address social and environmental injustices.
Chinchilla's passion for green spaces and equitable access was ignited during her childhood, growing up in the suburbs an hour outside of LA. A stark contrast in quality of life between the suburbs and the city centre, where she visited family, fuelled her determination to create a more sustainable and equitable city.
Having delivered a TED talk and spoken at the United Nations' Global Climate Action Summit, Chinchilla's voice is resonating far and wide. Her platform, Climate Action LAb, primarily engages 18- to 25-year-olds in the LA valley through Instagram, using digestible content, memes, and videos to spark interest in environmental issues and local climate stories.
One of Chinchilla's most significant accomplishments is overseeing the transition from diesel engines on freight trucks serving the Port of LA to electric ones. This shift has led to a massive reduction in emissions and improvement of air quality in affected communities, demonstrating the tangible benefits of her advocacy.
However, Chinchilla's vision extends beyond the transportation sector. She hopes to see free public transportation for all Angelenos, just and safer, equitable housing, and more equitable access to green space within cities. Her extended family, living in a disproportionately marginalized community, serves as a constant reminder of the need for change.
Chinchilla also recognizes that Los Angeles can learn from other cities, especially those from the global south that are already addressing climate and sustainability issues. She believes that by fostering connections to nature within cities, biophilic design promotes health, well-being, and resilience, helping to reduce disparities linked to pollution, heat islands, and lack of recreational areas.
With the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Chinchilla is enthusiastic about the change and what it means for equity in the city. She sees this as an opportunity to further her mission, ensuring that the development spurred by the Games benefits all Angelenos, particularly those in underserved communities.
Chinchilla's mentor, former Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer Dominique Hargreaves, has advised her to remember that solving the climate crisis is a communal effort. Chinchilla, in turn, advises her clients on funding opportunities to help them adopt zero-emission technologies and reduce carbon emissions.
As a Senior Programs & Creative Associate at GNA - Gladstein, Neandross and Associates, a consultancy specializing in clean transport, technology, and renewable energy projects, Chinchilla continues to make a significant impact in the fight against climate change. Her tireless dedication to promoting biophilic design and equity in Los Angeles serves as a powerful example for future generations of climate activists.
- Gianella Chinchilla's voice, resonating far and wide, reaches 18- to 25-year-olds through social media platforms like Instagram, where she shares digestible content, memes, and videos on climate action, environmental science, and local stories to spark interest in personal growth and learning.
- Having delivered a TED talk and spoken at the United Nations' Global Climate Action Summit, Chinchilla advocates for environmental-science education and self-development, aiming to create a more sustainable and equitable city through her innovative approach to urban development.
- In her mission to address climate change, Chinchilla works as a Senior Programs & Creative Associate at GNA (Gladstein, Neandross and Associates), a consultancy specializing in clean transport, technology, and renewable energy projects, focusing on learning and adopting zero-emission technologies to reduce carbon emissions.
- Chinchilla believes that the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles can serve as an opportunity to further her vision, ensuring the development spurred by the Games promotes environmental-science learning, personal growth, social-media engagement, and equitable access to green space and transportation for all Angelenos, including underserved communities.
