At 18, Delaney Reynolds has already helped draft environmental policy, appeared on an MTV special with Al Gore, and introduced Hillary Clinton at a campaign event.

For the young environmental activist, climate change hits close to home. She lives in south Florida, and remembers standing knee-deep in water after seasonal high tide flooding in 2016.

Reynolds: “The entire street was flooded, and I just broke down into tears. This – or worse – could be my future. It could be my children’s future. And that’s not something that I want.”

So she’s doing her best to educate others about the risks south Florida faces from sea-level rise. She runs a nonprofit called “Sink or Swim”, which she started in tenth grade as part of a class project. It includes a website of educational resources, recent news about climate change, and a blog about her efforts.

Reynolds also gives presentations to school and community groups across south Florida, and is working on a young adult book about sea-level rise.

Through all of her work, she hopes to inspire and motivate others to take action.

Reynolds: “If we can come together as a nation, we can solve climate change.”

Reporting credit: Rosie Simon/ChavoBart Digital Media.
Photo: Courtesy of Delaney Reynolds.