Climate change is accelerating, but reliable information about what is really happening on the ground is still far too rare. Rhett Ayers Butler—founder of Mongabay and a 2025 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize winner—has built one of the world’s most trusted platforms for independent environmental journalism. In this episode, he explains why empowering communities with accurate reporting, elevating local and Indigenous voices, and grounding public debate in science are essential to driving meaningful environmental action. His work shows how journalism, done right, can inform, inspire, and help protect both people and the planet.