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Rachel Ramirez is an independent climate journalist and a current fellow with the Metcalf Ocean Nexus Academy. Formerly the climate writer at CNN, Rachel has covered climate science, fossil fuels and clean energy, solutions, environmental justice and extreme weather. She previously worked for Vox, Grist and The Financial Times. Currently based in New York City, Rachel was born and raised in the U.S. Pacific island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands.
In what ways does nature inspire or inform your work?
I always tell people I was born in the ocean. I come from a small U.S. colony in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, part of the Marianas archipelago that’s merely specks on a map. Growing up, I would spend my free time observing the ebbs and flows of the Pacific, and in those moments, I’ve seen how we, humans, have changed it. Often, nature would respond back through forms of tsunami warnings that would send us evacuating to higher ground, typhoons that would challenge the already disinvested fabric of our island, or marine heatwaves that would wipe out our beloved corals and fisheries. Nature inspires me to convey deep emotional states in my storytelling, one that would hopefully change the tides for better.
What does it mean to you to be part of a thriving ecosystem?
Being part of a thriving ecosystem means survival and balance. Out in the wild, we know how predators and prey interact — how they adapt, fight, and make decisions, no matter how brutal the conditions. To be part of a thriving ecosystem means acknowledging the fundamental truth that everything is connected. We must survive despite the obstacles, because our actions feed into a larger, meaningful systems that help not just ourselves, but the entire planet.
