Kari Fulton is the co-founder of CheckTheWeather.net and is an award winning youth climate and environmental justice organizer from Denver, Colorado who now resides in Washington, DC. Fulton’s work advocating for a more just and equitable green movement has been featured on The Sundance Channel, in Elle and Glamour Magazine. ChecktheWeather.net (CTW) is a US-based online community and web platform that helps amplify the voice of young people of color in the US fighting for environmental justice as an attempt to diversify the green movement.
What is the most interesting discovery you have made since starting this project?
The never ending levels of environmental justice. Environment is a thing that most people do not pay attention to until it is in jeopardy but it impacts EVERYTHING we do. The most interesting “discovery” has been finding out all the ways communities of color, indigenous people and people who live in the global south are disproportionately impacted by environmental degradation and climate change. We cannot even hardly discuss social justice issues without considering how pollutants like lead in water or lack of access to reliable transportation play a role in creating these issues.
Where do you see this project in 10 years?
In ten years Check the Weather will have paid staff and a national/international television show. We will also create a venue that will offer multi-level and multi-lingual curriculum. However I do hope that through this work we will be able to win some strong victories for sustainability and environmental justice so that we can have more progressive and uplifting stories to report.
When did you start traveling?
I started off as a domestic nomad quite early in life but I didn’t start gaining international experience and passport stamps till last December 2009. Since then I’ve traveled to 3 countries.
How and why did you travel for the first time?
The first time I left the country an ally organization bought me a plane ticket and I went to Copenhagen, Denmark for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change also known as COP15.
In what places have you lived and what languages do you speak?
I have only lived in the United States thus far and speak rough Spanish and my own language I made up to speak when I get frustrated.
What’s your favorite city so far?
With all my travels I still love Washington, DC. It is a city with so much history and diversity. It’s also a great city for biking or public transit users. I love that there is always something going on and plays home for some of the smartest and most connected people in the world.
If you could only take one item with you to travel the world (other than your passport), what would it be?
My laptop, it’s a life saver!
Give us your global nomad profile:
window or aisle? Window
boat or plane? plane
train or bus? train
walk or bike? Bike
metro or trolley? Metro
tropical, temperate, polar? temperate
hotel, hostel or local’s apartment? hotel
must have fashion piece when traveling? A nice all-purpose scarf
explore/map or tour guide? explore/map
