Abby Reyes, a featured Climate Hero by One Earth, is a human rights lawyer, environmental activist, and author using the power of truth-telling to build a more just and sustainable future. Through legal advocacy, community organizing, and powerful storytelling, Reyes is helping redefine what climate justice looks like — centering Indigenous sovereignty, collective healing, and resistance to extractive industries such as oil and mining.
In her memoir, "Truth Demands: A Memoir of Murder, Oil Wars, and the Rise of Climate Justice," Reyes shares a heartbreaking story of how her journey in advocacy began. In 1999, Reyes' partner, Terence Freitas, was tragically murdered alongside two other activists while working with the U'wa people of Colombia to resist oil drilling on their sacred land.
The trauma propelled Reyes into action — not just in seeking justice for the victims, but also in standing with communities whose lands and lives are threatened by resource extraction. She also writes about handling grief and finding healing. "There were not oceans large enough," she writes. "I held my chin up high, not out of defiance, or to disguise my trembling lip, but rather because I was determined not to drown."
Throughout the book, Reyes unpacks the interconnected issues of oil development, state violence, and ecological collapse. By sharing stories from the frontlines, she spotlights the human cost of environmental destruction and argues that real solutions must start with protecting land defenders and keeping fossil fuels in the ground.
Around the world, Indigenous communities are facing climate threats they didn't cause, from rising sea levels to extreme weather. Reyes' work is shining a light on these struggles while also offering a roadmap for resistance and healing. Her advocacy helps protect ecosystems as well as the people and cultures who are essential to preserving them. This reaches far beyond individual communities to work toward a safer, more livable planet for all.
Reyes has held leadership roles at environmental nonprofits, led sustainability initiatives at the University of California, Irvine, and participated in global climate negotiations. Her goal is to amplify community-led climate solutions and make sure that those most impacted by environmental harm are the ones shaping how we respond.
As Reyes says in the book, "This is how we get where we are going: with each step in right relationship to the ancestors, the earth, our communities, and future generations."
|
Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
