Yessenia Funes

Climate Director she/her

New York, NY

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Yessenia Funes is an environmental journalist who focuses on the intersection of race and the environment. She was previously the senior reporter for Earther, the environmental leg of the Gawker blog network, where she closely followed the injustices of the climate crisis. Before then, she was on staff at Colorlines and YES! Magazine.

In what way does nature inspire or inform your work?

Nature’s ability to withstand human touch inspires me.

What does it mean to be part of a thriving ecosystem?

Being a part of a thriving ecosystem means to make that human touch more giving and less extractive.

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A forest defender dressed in camouflage sits on a log near their treehouse, which is the site of a protest occupation to defend the forest near Atlanta

A forest defender dressed in camouflage sits on a log near their treehouse, which is the site of a protest occupation to defend the forest near Atlanta

The Environmental Movement’s Silence on Cop City Police Killing Police killed environmental activist Manuel Esteban Páez Terán last week. The Frontline reminds us that police violence is an environmental issue.

The Frontline Environmental Justice

An ant infected by a parasitic fungus sits dead with fungal stalks shattering through its exoskeleton.

An ant infected by a parasitic fungus sits dead with fungal stalks shattering through its exoskeleton.

‘The Last of Us’: Where Mycology and Climate Apocalypse Collide HBO’s latest drama The Last of Us portrays a future plagued by fungi that turn humans into zombies. The Frontline explores the actual fungi that threaten public health.

The Frontline Science & Nature

Fossil Fuels Aren’t the Answer to European Energy Crisis—Peace Is As the war in Ukraine rages on, so does Europe’s energy crisis. The Frontline talks to a youth climate activist in Poland who believes clean energy is the answer.

The Frontline Environmental Justice

Does Antisemitism Exist in the Climate Movement? In light of Ye, or Kanye West’s, recent antisemitic comments, The Frontline explores whether antisemitism exists in the climate movement.

The Frontline Environmental Justice

10 Environmental Justice Wins in 2022 to Celebrate We didn’t save the world in 2022, but there were notable wins in the climate and environmental justice space. The Frontline takes time to celebrate these and remind us why we fight at all.

The Frontline Environmental Justice

Queer Climate Activists Speak Out After COP27 in Egypt This year’s climate negotiations were held in Egypt, a country notoriously known for its human rights abuses against the LGBTQIA+ community. Non-Egyptian queer climate activists talk to The Frontline about why they still went.

The Frontline Environmental Justice

Education Culture Wars Didn’t Stop Midterms Climate Wins The U.S. midterm elections have shown that educators can win—and book banners can lose. The Frontline digs into why that matters for climate justice.

The Frontline Environmental Justice

In Florida, Queer Youth Battle Bigotry and Climate Change Right-wing monsters are tormenting young LGBTQIA+ people by writing and passing homophobic and anti-trans bills. In Florida, queer youth climate activists speak out.

The Frontline Democracy

10 Years After Superstorm Sandy, Building Local Resilience After Superstorm Sandy, one Brooklyn neighborhood realized its concentration of auto shops posed environmental harm. The Frontline reports on community-led efforts to clean up businesses, rather than shut them down.

The Frontline Environmental Justice

Protecting Our Elders From Hurricane Ian and Beyond The Frontline examines the risks older people face from climate change—and the need to protect older people who represent a “walking piece of history,” as one activist said.

The Frontline Environmental Justice

Ocean Conservation for La Gente For Latine Heritage Month, Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, the founder and executive director of the only marine conservation group dedicated to Latines in the U.S., shares how her community carries a special relationship to the ocean on The Frontline.

The Frontline Identity & Community

COP27: Egypt’s Environmental Defenders Need Solidarity The Frontline dives into a new human rights report that shows the fear environmental groups in Egypt feel—and their weariness in participating in the upcoming COP27.

The Frontline Environmental Justice

We Can’t Normalize Jackson’s Water Crisis The water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, reminds us how much worse things will get in a heating world if we don’t take action now. The Frontline shows us a path forward.

The Frontline Environmental Justice

Dust and Bones The impact of climate change on migrant deaths at the southwestern border

The Frontline Climate Migration

The Greenland Ice Sheet’s Terrifying Future A new study shows, for the first time, how much sea level rise the Greenland ice sheet’s melting will cause. The Frontline dives into the climate injustice the issue raises.

The Frontline Ocean Life

‘Enough Is Enough’: Ukrainian Climate Activists Demand End to Fossil Fueled War After six months of Russia’s war in Ukraine, climate activists share with The Frontline what must come next: the end of fossil fuels.

The Frontline Democracy

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Willow Defebaugh Cofounder, Editor-in-Chief, Board Director she/they

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Tessa Forrest Digital Design Director she/her

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Jake Sargent Cofounder, Publisher, Board Director he/him

60 Seconds on Earth,Anthropocene,Art & Culture,Climate Migration,Black Liberation,Changemakers,Democracy,Environmental Justice,Photography,Earth Sounds,Deep Ecology,Indigeneity,Queer Ecology,Ethical Fashion,Ocean Life,Climate Solutions,The Frontline,The Overview,Biodiversity,Future of Food,Identity & Community,Movement Building,Science & Nature,Well Being,