In episode six of 'Wollongong, Let's Get Salty', podcast host Robyn Johnson chats to Yael Stone, founder of Hi Neighbour, a not-for-profit organisation supporting the transition from fossil fuels to renewables

Yael Stone is a wonderfully talented Australian actor both on stage and screen, most widely known for her role in the US Netflix comedy Orange is the New Black.

Just as Blaze is hitting Australian cinemas, I spoke to Yael about how her efforts in criminal justice reform and experiencing the Black Summer bushfires forced her to clarify her personal values and to try to work towards them.

In early 2020, literally covered in climate anxiety, Yael renounced her US Green Card and a life spent traveling between Australia and the US for acting.

Yael is now studying ‘sustainable communities’ at UOW and the seed for ‘Hi Neighbour’ was sown out of curiosity to illuminate the training pathways for coal workers, amidst a global energy transition from fossil fuels, to upskill or retrain and to find future local jobs, keeping them here to call the Illawarra home.

Funds donated will see rooftop solar installations in local businesses, with loan repayments and interest converted into scholarship funding.

Wollongong, Let's Get Salty

Hosted by Blend ESQ director Robyn Johnson, this podcast series examines how our area is changing and how we can all contribute to a sustainable future. Read more in the Flame's article here and listen to past podcasts here