Host John Whidden interviews 16-year-old Teja from Hyderabad, India, after a Quick Fix from Vaibhav about the mental-health benefits of spending time with soil. Teja says climate change isn’t widely discussed in Hyderabad, though youth involvement is growing through efforts like the Center for Green Revolution, and he describes worsening heat and heatstroke since 2016. He explains founding his youth-led nonprofit Climateyc (Youth Collaborative) to research climate change, run accessible events, and support projects such as “smog to soil” and portable direct air capture with mentorship sought from IIT Hyderabad. Teja recounts attending COP30 as a 14-year-old student delegate via earlier projects like gray water recycling, notes Indian youth often lack funding compared to other countries, and encourages networking through social media and local events. He shares personal actions—stopping red meat and building a terrace garden—and says youth engagement gives him hope.

00:00 Welcome Teja

00:27 Quick Fix Soil Therapy

01:45 Hyderabad Climate Reality

03:05 Launching Climateyc

03:52 Smog to Soil Project

04:18 Why Youth Collaborative

05:17 COP30 Inspiration

06:07 Funding Barriers for Youth

07:25 Lessons From COP30

09:12 Networking Tips for Youth

10:46 Direct Air Capture Work

11:27 Tech as Climate Solution

12:30 Developing Country Mindset

14:18 Personal Climate Actions

14:41 Hope and Farewell

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