Find inspiration to affect global change with stories and perspectives from people the planet needs now: 25 Black and Brown scientists and activists. From climate change and industrial waste to social injustice and poverty, the challenges that our world faces are daunting. To make matters worse, many people are turning away from scientific fact in favor of their own beliefs and biases. Yet there is reason for hope. Heroes among us are fighting for a better world—and many of them are Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC). Acclaimed author and photographer Dudley Edmondson has interviewed 25 Black and Brown scientists, environmental justice activists, and social justice activists to inspire change on a global scale. People the Planet Needs Now is a compilation of personal stories and perspectives from across the United States (and one from the Philippines), as scientists and activists talk about the work they do and their life experiences. The 25 viewpoints are shared conversationally, as if the reader is having a one-on-one dialogue with each storyteller. You’ll learn deeply personal details about their childhood, physical- and mental-health struggles, and racist encounters—which influence everything, from science and what is considered knowledge to where one might live in a particular city and even one’s quality of healthcare and education. Complete with Dudley’s full-color photography, the book offers a rare opportunity to see and hear from BIPOC scientists and activists about problems with “traditional” science and the current methods of addressing everything from climate change to city design. Black and Brown people are often most directly affected by these problems, so their unique insights offer the possibility for new solutions. These interviews spark conversations about innovative ways to address social, environmental, and related issues. “It is an honor and privilege to share this collection of personal stories from Black and Brown storytellers with global origins and perspectives,” says Dudley. Black and Brown people around the globe have an interdependent relationship with nature, and their perspectives can help us push for positive change. People the Planet Needs Now strives to inspire current and future difference-makers to create a better world together. Over the past 32 years, Dudley Edmondson has become an established photographer, author, filmmaker, and presenter. His photography has been featured in galleries and publications around the world, most recently in Australia and Italy. In 2006, Dudley set out to create a group of outdoors role models for the nation’s African American community by writing the landmark book Black & Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places. During the Obama Administration, Dudley’s book landed him an invitation to the White House for the signing of America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. Dudley currently lives in Duluth, Minnesota, and serves on the board for the Bell Museum of Natural History, as well as the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. Alex Troutman—Wildlife Biologist Austell, Georgia My Life, My Work I’m a wildlife biologist, working for the USFWS at the moment. Since I work with wildlife, habitat, and people, no two days are alike. In my role, I manage federal lands and monitor wildlife species to ensure population growth and stability. When managing or restoring lands, I get to use tractors to mow fields, trails, and waterfowl impoundments. We also do surveys before, during, and after large-scale land management activities to see how our actions have impacted wildlife. A Kid Constantly Distracted by Nature I grew up in Austell, Georgia. I was always interested in nature. Growing up, I was lucky to have had a creek in my backyard. We would spend a lot of time back there looking for water lizards, which we didn’t know at the time were salamanders. We would also build up a dam to pool up the water so we could fish. Many times, my chores, like raking leaves or cutting the grass, were often extended because I would see a snake or a frog run in front of the lawnmower. I would chase and study it to see what it was. Or I’d spend time sifting through raked leaves to see what different grubs and things were hiding in them. I spent many Saturdays fishing with my father, uncle, and brothers on a lake in rural Georgia. I saw my spark bird, the red-tailed hawk, while fishing there. The red glow of the tail soaring over and seeing the sun rays come through was memorable. Growing up with No Role Models That Looked Like Me I grew up in the era of Jack Hanna, Steve Irwin, and Jeff Corwin, so for a long time, those were my idea of a wildlife biologist. Obviously, they’re not Black, so I didn’t have that true connection that this was something I could do. Originally, I thought I was going to be a veterinarian because that was one of the only representations of a Black person working with animals that I saw. Growing up, going to zoos and national parks