Home » Environment

Sharona Shnayder: Mobilizing Youth for Global Climate Action

How a Nigerian-Israeli activist inspires a new generation to tackle climate change through grassroots action and bold leadership.

By Medha deb

Created on Sep 27, 2025

How a Nigerian-Israeli activist inspires a new generation to tackle climate change through grassroots action and bold leadership.

Sharona Shnayder: The Face of a New Generation of Climate Leaders

Sharona Shnayder stands at the intersection of multiple identities—Nigerian, Israeli, woman, immigrant, African, and Jewish—all of which inform and energize her climate activism. As the founder of Tuesdays for Trash and chairwoman of Our Streets PDX, she exemplifies the rise of youth-driven grassroots action, while confronting the deep-rooted environmental and social challenges of our time.

Identity, Motivation, and Personal History

Born in Lagos, Nigeria to a Nigerian mother and an Israeli father, Shnayder relocated to the United States at age eight, settling in Tualatin, Oregon. Her childhood in Nigeria exposed her to severe environmental crises—flash floods and disasters were regular occurrences, forging her early bond with nature and a sense of responsibility for its wellbeing.

Later, witnessing the devastating wildfires and heatwaves in Oregon drove home the urgency of climate action. “I would look at the red sky and all the smoke and it almost felt like we were in an apocalypse… Sweating isn’t even healthy. Your body can’t regulate so you can suffocate. Breathing outside for one hour was equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes,” she recalls.

Ethnic Identity: African and Jewish, minority and woman, immigrant and changemaker.
Influences: Inspired by Greta Thunberg, whose activism demonstrated the power of youth voices in climate justice.
Core Belief: A profound desire to ensure a liveable future for all inhabitants of the planet.

The Birth and Expansion of Tuesdays for Trash

In May 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, Shnayder and friend Wanda McNealy started picking up litter in Portland. Their small weekly ritual quickly evolved into Tuesdays for Trash: a social movement urging individuals worldwide to dedicate at least one day per week to collecting trash.

Global Reach: Over 30,000 pounds of trash removed, 10 chapters across 23 countries within the first year.
Vision: Transform ordinary citizens into environmental stewards through regular action.
Education: Emphasizes learning about waste management, ecological systems, and the importance of holding corporations accountable.

Why Trash Collection?

“One garbage truck of plastic enters our oceans every minute of every day, and it’s only getting worse,” Shnayder warns. Tuesdays for Trash targets this visible aspect of environmental degradation, transforming an everyday act into a global call for responsibility, accountability, and sustained action.

Youth Voices: Overcoming Systemic Barriers and Eco-Anxiety

Shnayder acknowledges both the opportunities and challenges faced by youth in climate activism. While movements like Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion have amplified young voices, obstacles persist—especially for marginalized groups:

Representation Problem: Minority women and grassroots activists often remain “ignored, silenced, and uninvited to the places where their voices are needed most.” Her advocacy pushes for greater inclusion of those on the climate frontlines.
Intersectional Challenges: Juggling multiple identities and roles can take a toll mentally and physically, including “adverse effects on health” and eco-anxiety—a chronic fear of environmental collapse.
Generational Sacrifice: “I don’t love to wake up and think about these issues… but if we keep going, business as usual, for the next seven years, we’re not going to survive.” The sense of urgency is palpable: climate activism is not just a passion, but an existential necessity.

Advocacy Beyond Cleanup: Policy, Education, and Technology

For Shnayder, individual action is but one pillar in the climate fight. She actively campaigns for stricter corporate policies, systemic legislative reforms, and better environmental education. Her vision for climate justice combines hands-on activism with political engagement and technological innovation.

Corporate Accountability: “Passing harsh and clear legislative consequences for businesses and manufacturers actively destroying the environment, trashing our ecosystems, and profiting on the suffering of vulnerable communities.”
Climate Education: Pushes for “a more robust educational system around climate and the environment,” recognizing that knowledge is key to building a sustainable future.
Tech for Climate: At Albo Climate, a climate tech startup, she helps leverage satellite imagery and AI to map and monitor carbon sequestration, supporting regenerative agriculture and forest management projects in Africa.

From Local Parks to Global Stages: Demonstrations and Leadership Roles

After moving to Israel, Shnayder expanded her activism into new contexts:

Political Engagement: Speaker at demonstrations alongside Extinction Rebellion and other activists, including events outside the Israeli President’s residence during COP26 climate negotiations.
Mentorship: Speaking at high schools and mobilizing youth through workshops to “equip society with the knowledge and understanding of how to work towards a sustainable future.”
Leadership: Chairwoman of Our Streets PDX, One Young World Ambassador, National Geographic Young Explorer, and member of multiple strategic advocacy coalitions.

A Day Outside: Connecting with Nature

Despite the weight of her work, Shnayder takes refuge in Israel’s parks and green spaces, reaffirming her deep connection to the natural world she fights to protect. “When I’m not strategic thinking, I like to spend time in the Israeli National Park near where I live in Ramat Gan,” she shares.

The Big Picture: Climate Justice Is Social Justice

Shnayder’s activism is grounded in the understanding that climate change disproportionately affects the world’s most vulnerable communities. Extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and droughts threaten food security, perpetuate injustice, and displace millions.

Climate Refugees: By 2050, over 200 million climate refugees are projected worldwide, driven from their homes by worsened environmental disasters.
Systemic Change: Calls for a shift away from “business as usual,” warning that “there’s no place that’s safe” if global warming continues unchecked.

Sharona’s Impact: From Grassroots Action to Global Inspiration

Through individual empowerment, collective mobilization, and policy advocacy, Shnayder demonstrates the breadth of modern climate activism. Her experience underscores the practical steps anyone can take, while illuminating the broader, interconnected struggles for justice and representation.

Initiative	Purpose	Scope	Impact
Tuesdays for Trash	Grassroots trash cleanup	23 countries, 10 chapters	30,000+ pounds of waste removed
Our Streets PDX	Advocacy & education	Local (Portland) & global solidarity	Youth outreach, policy workshops
Albo Climate	Climate tech & carbon mapping	Africa, Israel	Supporting regenerative projects
Demonstrations	Policy pressure	Israel	Visibility for climate talks, youth input

Lessons from Sharona: How to Start Your Climate Journey

Start with small regular actions, like trash pickup, to build community and personal responsibility.
Stay informed about waste management issues, policy debates, and climate science.
Make your voice heard: join demonstrations, workshops, and advocacy groups.
Connect local initiatives to global movements—share across social media, collaborate internationally.
Recognize and amplify marginalized voices within activism, ensuring inclusive decision-making.
Balance action with self-care; eco-anxiety is real, so build supportive networks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is Tuesdays for Trash and how can I get involved?

A: Tuesdays for Trash is a global movement founded by Sharona Shnayder that encourages individuals to dedicate one day per week to picking up litter in their local community. You can join by following the initiative online, creating your own chapter, or simply starting regular cleanups with friends and family.

Q: Why is youth involvement critical in climate activism?

A: Young people bring fresh perspectives, energy, and urgency to climate issues. They are both current and future stakeholders, and their activism ensures sustained momentum and innovation in environmental protection, while challenging entrenched systems.

Q: How does eco-anxiety affect climate activists?

A: Eco-anxiety describes chronic distress over environmental disaster and climate change. It can impact mental health, but engagement, community action, and advocacy can help channel anxiety into positive change.

Q: What role does technology play in Sharona Shnayder’s work?

A: At Albo Climate, she applies satellite mapping and AI to monitor carbon sequestration, aiding projects that restore soil and forests—important for drawing down carbon and combating climate change.

Q: How can individuals push for systemic change?

A: By advocating for environmental policies, supporting corporate accountability legislation, participating in local government, spreading awareness, and joining or founding grassroots initiatives.

Sharona’s Call to Action: The Power of Community and Persistence

Shnayder argues that addressing climate change requires collective engagement. Every action—no matter how small—contributes to the larger mission of securing a sustainable and just future. Her story is a testament to the resilience, strategic thinking, and hope that drive the climate movement forward.

“We are in a generational battle to determine the liveability of our futures on this planet.”
“The growing climate change movement has a representation problem—everyone must take part.”
“Knowing this and the direct role human activities are playing in creating this problem, there’s no time to waste.”

Key Takeaways for Readers

Individual acts—from local trash cleanups to informed advocacy—matter.
Empowerment comes from connecting community efforts to systemic change.
Youth voices and marginalized leaders must be heard and valued in climate spaces.
Climate justice is social justice: tackling environmental threats means fighting for equality and human rights.

References

Author

medha deb

Medha Deb is an editor with a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad. She believes that her qualification has helped her develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts.

Read full bio of medha deb