She had become worried about foul smells emanating from the oil site across the street in her University Park neighborhood in South Los Angeles. Cobo and her mother knocked on doors and mobilized their neighbors to complain to regulators about the chemical odors from the Allenco Energy oil site. At the age of 13, she appeared on a video calling on Pope Francis to help ensure that the Allenco site, which is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is permanently shuttered. She was a poster child — literally — for the Global Youth Climate Strike, her face emblazoned on one of its posters. AdvertisementMartha Dina Argüello, executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles, praises her as a “powerful storyteller” who has inspired people with her story.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 07, 2020 23:37 UTC