BENGALURU : All of 12, she has already created ripples in the fight for a greener planet. The devastation of natural habitats, the gross use of plastics, and lack of sustainable practices is a battle she is ready for. Madhvi Chittoor, a member of the UN Child Activist Team (CAT), has already lobbied policymakers, legislators and politicians. Now, the Colorado school girl, who speaks to school kids from Bengaluru and Chennai often as a UN advisor, will be hosting the UN’s International EcoEthics Summit, on Climate Action and Inclusivity in June 2024 in Colorado, USA.
Chittoor has always approached problems with a solution-driven campaigner mindset. She’s received a letter of appreciation from US President Joe Biden, and her zeal saw her invited to meet Vice President Kamala Harris too in 2023. Chittoor was also recently a speaker at the UNGC 26 on climate in Geneva in September ’23 where she stressed the need for governments and citizens to be the change for a better planet.
It all began she saw a CNN documentary about how plastic in the deep Pacific is killing wildlife – a dead bird was cut open and there was plastic inside the belly. Overcome with emotion, Chittoor resolved to do her bit. “In 2018, at six, I met with US Congressman Ed Perlmutter and the then Governor now US Senator, John Hickenlooper to declare April as Plastic and Styrofoam Pollution Awareness month for Colorado. In 2019, Governor Jared Polis also showed his support. That was huge. I started a campaign to stop the use of styrofoam in schools. The Jeffco Public Schools made the switch from styrofoam lunch trays to bagasse trays in 2019,” pipes Chittoor, who also convinced Governor Polis (2021) to sign the bill to law. The House Bill 21-1162 ‘Management Of Plastic Products’, repeals the current law that prohibits local governments from requiring or banning the use or sale of specific types of plastic products.
Thanks to her efforts, styrofoam trays were banned from 155 schools in Jefferson County Public Schools, eliminating 25 million containers. Chittoor is thrilled. “Starting January 1, 2024, retail food establishments will be prohibited from using expanded polystyrene products as a ready-to-eat food container.” For Chittoor, it’s the threat to wildlife and natural biodiversity which empowers her to keep spreading the word. “The quadruple threat is contributing to climate change – pollution, biodiversity loss, global warming and technology. We need to combat all these. I have galvanised many positive changes in the US, and Colorado, yet while the situation is a bit better, there’s still so much we need to do.”
A familiar face at United Nations’ Conference of the Parties(COP) meets, she often travels with her parents to propagate change. “When I went to Portugal and Spain, the youth was so interested when I spoke. They joined my eco-ethics global movement. In India, I have spoken to many schools, and they were receptive,” she says. For the girl who packs in much, it’s all about priorities, and setting tasks aside, to be most productive.
A 12-year-old Indian-American, who regularly speaks to school kids from Bengaluru and Chennai as a United Nations advisor, is hosting the UN’s International EcoEthics Summit on Climate Action and Inclusivity in June in Colorado, USA