New Ways to Tackle Climate Change: A Q&A with a Big Ideas Finalist
By Kyra Trinh
February 23, 2021
UC Big Ideas is an innovation ecosystem in which students across the University of California campuses receive funding, resources, and other entrepreneurial opportunities for their ideas that solve pressing social challenges. Students compete through a two-round process, where chosen finalists advance with mentorship, greater networks, and recognition for their projects.
This year at UC Irvine, we saw a record amount of applicants despite the challenges of virtual interaction, with one proud team passing the first phase of the contest and delving into the final round:
Briana Villaverde is a 3rd year undergraduate student at UC Irvine studying Environmental Science and Policy as well as Chicano/Latino Studies. Holding several leadership positions for organizations such as the Earth System Science Club, The Green Initiative Fund, and the Sunrise Movement at UC Irvine, she is a climate organizer and an advocate for environmental justice. With her teammates Stephanie Hu and Rounak Bhunia from the Rhode Island School of Design, Villaverde will continue to develop her project, Climate Mobilized, with Big Ideas.
Climate Mobilized (formerly Climate Battle Simulator) offers a simulated arena for players to plan tangible actions to pass climate legislation to mitigate the effects of climate change while trumping the oil industry’s lobbying tactics. On its way to becoming both a digital game and a board game, this simulation focuses on politics and governmental processes and structures as means of transitioning players from spectators of the political arena to active participants and organizers.
Villaverde was inspired to start Climate Mobilized with her team due to her background of environmental justice. “The power of grassroots organizing has historically been a great force and still has immense unmatched potential — however, breaking into the politics and science of climate change can be difficult and emotionally taxing,” she said. “Climate Mobilized is a great introductory and recruitment tool into climate organizing because it is able to showcase climate change science and organizing actions in a digestible and fun way.”
Moving forward, the team has set a specific purpose in launching Climate Mobilized, recognizing the project’s scope and limitations:
“Even though our Big Idea is not meant to spotlight political or ideological differences, we aim to give affected community members and advocates a tool to meaningfully combat fossil fuel lobbying interests in their communities via organizing. It is imperative we note that we propose Climate Mobilized to guide and inform as well as influence legislation with organizing, but we write knowing that true climate, racial, and social justice cannot be achieved solely through electoral politics.”
Throughout the Big Ideas final round and beyond, the team hopes to see their project used as a tool for climate organizers who push for effective climate legislation. Stemming from its goal of informing and influencing policy through organization, Climate Mobilized is expected to be seen in high school government and environmental science classrooms, orientation meetings, and in people’s homes.
Despite its appearance of being retail-oriented, Climate Mobilized seeks something different. “We aren’t looking to capitalize off of our idea but rather to create a sustainable model that allows for the dissemination and production of the game to strengthen grassroots climate organizing, nothing more and nothing less,” says Villaverde. When asked to give advice for an aspiring entrepreneur, she responded:
“I don’t consider myself an entrepreneur and I probably never will — however, social entrepreneurship is a form of entrepreneurship that maybe in the future can have a shift or split off of traditional entrepreneurship in the way the mainstream frames it. Climate Mobilized and political climate advocacy in general is inherently rooted in anti-capitalist, anti-colonial, and socialist frameworks, so the spirit of entrepreneurship doesn’t always fit.”
The team will continue to expand on the design of their project in the next month and a half, where they will submit a final application video and 8-page written proposal in April. Big Ideas will later notify all winners in May, with the potential of giving up to $20,000 in support funding.
“The time to confront the fossil fuel industry is now.”
We wish the best for the team both in and out of their Big Ideas participation. Keep on the lookout for Climate Mobilized! Stay updated by visiting their website and following them on Twitter and Instagram.
We’d like to thank Briana and her team for answering our questions. All information and graphics regarding Climate Mobilized and climate legislation is credited to Briana.
