{{short description|British-born Dutch environmentalist}} {{Infobox person | name = Lilly Platt | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2008|4|18|df=yes}} | known_for = Environmentalism }}
'''Lilly Platt''' (born 18 April 2008) is a British-born Dutch environmentalist.<ref name="Globalshakers Profile New">{{cite web |title=Lilly Platt |url=https://globalshakers.com/world-shakers/lilly-platt/ |website=Global Shakers |accessdate=13 September 2020 |archive-date=18 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418033946/https://globalshakers.com/world-shakers/lilly-platt/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Platt is known for her youth and for going on peaceful strikes to voice out environmental concerns.<ref name="Climatekids Extraordinaire">{{cite news |last1=First-Arai |first1=Leanna |title=This Plastic Pickup Extraordinaire Will Always Have Your Back: Meet Lilly Platt |url=https://climatekids.net/this-plastic-pickup-extraordinaire-will-always-have-your-back-meet-lilly-platt/ |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=Climate Kids |date=4 January 2019 |language=de-DE}}</ref> She is the Global Ambassador of YouthMundus,<ref name="Youthmundus Meet Lilly">{{cite news |title=Meet 11 Year Old Lilly - YouthMundus' Global Youth Ambassador |url=https://www.youthmundus.com/post/meet-11-year-old-lilly-youthmundus-global-youth-ambassador |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=YouthMundus Festival |publisher=Inner Voice Artists, LLC |date=29 April 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Earth.org,<ref name="Earthorg Lilly Meet">{{cite news |title=Lilly Platt: Meet Earth.Org's First Global Ambassador! |url=https://earth.org/lilly-platt-earth-orgs-global-ambassador/ |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=Earth.Org - Past {{!}} Present {{!}} Future |date=9 September 2020}}</ref> and WODI;<ref name="WOD">{{cite web |title=World Oceans Day Italy {{!}} World Oceans Day Online Portal |url=https://unworldoceansday.org/wodi |website=unworldoceansday.org |accessdate=13 September 2020 |archive-date=1 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001210901/https://unworldoceansday.org/wodi |url-status=dead }}</ref> youth ambassador for Plastic Pollution Coalition<ref name="Globalshakers Profile New" /> and How Global;<ref name="Yourmark Lilly Platt">{{cite news |last1=Podder |first1=Api |title=Lilly Platt Archives |url=https://yourmarkontheworld.com/tag/lilly-platt/ |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=Your Mark On The World |archive-date=20 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420184450/https://yourmarkontheworld.com/tag/lilly-platt/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and child ambassador for the World Cleanup Day.<ref name="Medium What I learned">{{cite news |last1=Herbert |first1=Megan |title=5 things I learned from a 10-year-old climate activist |url=https://medium.com/@meganjherbert/5-things-i-learned-from-a-10-year-old-climate-activist-185249497e43 |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=Medium |publisher=A Medium Corporation |language=en}}</ref> Platt initially went viral on social media after posting litter of plastic she picked up—sorted accordingly. Over the years she has picked up more than 100,000 of pieces of litter.<ref name="GlobalCitizen">{{cite news |last1=McCarthy |first1=Joe |title=This 11-Year-Old Activist Has Picked Up More Than 100,000 Pieces of Plastic |url=https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/lilly-platt-activist-plastic-environment/ |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=Global Citizen |date=17 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
Platt was born in Britain.<ref name="BBC 7 Climate">{{cite news |title=Climate change: 7 young climate activists from around the world - CBBC Newsround |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/49676291 |accessdate=13 September 2020 |publisher=BBC |date=23 September 2019}}</ref> Her family moved to Netherlands when she was seven years old.<ref name="GlobalCitizen" />
==Environmentalism==
In 2015, Platt was walking along a park in the Netherlands with her grandfather when she noticed litter of plastic scattered on the ground. She decided to count them to practice her Dutch. They gathered 91 pieces of plastic within 10 minutes.<ref name="GlobalCitizen" /> Her grandfather further told her how the trash ends up as plastic soup.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lilly's Plastic Pickup mission |url=https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/kids-club/cool-kids/general-kids-club/lillys-plastic-pickup/ |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=National Geographic Kids |publisher=Creature Media Ltd |date=23 February 2018}}</ref> The said incident triggered her environmental initiative, and at 7 years old, she started Lilly's Plastic Pickup. Through Lilly's Plastic Pickup, she picks up litter and sorts them meticulously. She posts them on social media so as to raise awareness on the issue.<ref name="GlobalCitizen" /> Over the years Platt has picked up more than 100,000 pieces of trash, ranging from bottles, cigarette packets, drink cartons etc. Through Lilly's Plastic Cleanup, Platt also shares the effect of plastic on wildlife and the ecosystem.<ref name="Voicesbritishschool TEDX">{{cite news |title=11 year old Environmentalist Taking Action (and how you can too!) {{!}} Lilly Platt {{!}} TEDxYOUTH@BSN SPEAKER |url=https://voices.britishschool.nl/TEDxYouthBSN/2019/08/27/the-11-year-old-environmentalist-taking-action-and-how-you-can-too-lilly-platt-tedxyouthbsn-speaker/ |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=TEDxYouth@BSN |date=27 August 2019}}</ref> Since going viral her initiative has garnered international acclaim.<ref name="GlobalCitizen" />
Ever since she was a child, Platt has shown fondness for animals, particularly those considered physically unappealing. She was bullied in school because of this, and only one of her peers showed interest in her cleanup activities. Platt then moved to The King's School where many of her classmates participated in her clean-up efforts.<ref name="Climatekids Extraordinaire" />
In the 2019 Dutch elections, Platt's grandfather voted on her behalf, as she is campaigning for the ban of plastic. Platt took a video and encouraged others to do the same.<ref name="GlobalCitizen" />
In September 2018, Platt saw Greta Thunberg's protest outside the Swedish Parliament concerning the enforcement of Paris Agreement. She was inspired and decided to go on strike too. After a few weeks, Greta Thunberg joined Platt's strikes in the Netherlands, considering the Netherlands had been one of the highest emitters of greenhouse gas in the European Union. Both were invited to Brussels where they attended a climate rally outside the European Parliament.<ref name="Climatekids Extraordinaire" />
Every Friday, Platt goes on strike outside government buildings to protest regarding the climate crisis,<ref name="HuffPost This 10 year">{{cite news |last1=Larsson |first1=Naomi |title=This 10-Year-Old Is Saving The World By Ditching School |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/climate-change-school-strike-lilly-platt_n_5c6c35d8e4b0867082dee135 |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=HuffPost |publisher=Verizon Media |date=22 February 2019 |language=en}}</ref> with or without company.<ref name="Climatekids Extraordinaire" />
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Platt, Lilly}} Category:2008 births Category:Living people Category:British climate activists Category:British emigrants to the Netherlands Category:Dutch climate activists Category:Dutch environmentalists Category:British child activists Category:Dutch youth activists Category:Youth climate activists