My Green Heroes
By Melissa Mansfield | September 10, 2010 at 1:27 pm
For most of my life, thinking about how my actions affected the environment or people around the world was not a common part of my day.
But, about seven years ago, my perspective started shifting. Brought on by a combination of living in rural Guatemala and then suburban Los Angeles, and getting connected to entrepreneurs and activists at the Green Festival in San Francisco, I started looking at the world differently and making different choices.
These days making green choices each day – from bringing my own bags to the grocery store to eating a plant-based diet – is habitual.
But I don’t think I would have shifted my habits, my perspectives and my values so quickly if it weren’t for some incredibly thoughtful, inspiring and passionate people who opened my mind to a whole new way of living and thinking.
I’m calling them my “green heroes.” This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but if you’re ready to think in a different way, make new choices, or just get re-inspired, these people may inspire you too.
- William McDonough and Michael Braungart are the authors of Cradle to Cradle. If you have not read this book yet, YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK. In the simplest terms, it is all about how everything humans design should be transformed from “cradle to grave” to “cradle to cradle” – just like nature. There is plenty of “waste” in nature – like the cherry tree and its overabundance of fruit. There is death and decay. But everything is part of a balanced system and it all works to support the cycle of life. McDonough and Braungart offer an inspiring roadmap for how humans can design with the same system in mind – and in doing so, transform our modern world.
- Majora Carter is one of the leaders of “greening the ghetto.” She founded Sustainable South Bronx and is a tireless advocate for environmental activism in low-income communities that are often ignored, marginalized, or worse yet, stuck with all of the worst environmental problems. (It’s the poorer communities that usually live near the landfills or toxic dumps.) She focuses on empowering communities to take leadership on what’s important to them, such as revitalizing a blighted area with a beautiful park. Carter is brilliant, passionate, and funny, and she proves that the green movement can and should be for everyone.
- Van Jones is a leading voice for the “green economy.” He co-founded Green for All, a non-profit that advocates for local, state and federal programs that bring green-collar jobs to low-income communities, such as jobs retrofitting homes and offices to achieve higher energy efficiency standards. This approach tackles a few key areas: supporting sustainable products and services, boosting the economy by growing green industries, and alleviating poverty with training and jobs. Jones is probably one of the most inspiring, optimistic speakers out there – it’s impossible to walk away from him not feeling hopeful about the future and ready to get to work.
- Amy Goodman is an award-winning independent journalist and host of the radio show “Democracy Now!” What’s amazing about Goodman is that she covers the toughest of topics – mostly war and corruption – and still has an unwavering vision of hope and optimism. In her travels throughout the U.S. and the world, she is constantly meeting people who are working together to make things better – even against the hardest odds. She’s committed to telling their stories, so that more people can be inspired to take a stand against inequality, injustice and violence.
- Paul Stamets is the mushroom guy. He gives a presentation at Green Festivals across the country every year that would blow your mind. I can’t do it justice in just a few sentences, but here’s the gist: fungi is everywhere – it connects all living organisms across the planet. And it has amazing abilities. Best example: Stamets tested using mushrooms to clean up a toxic waste area (and compared the results to traditional methods and control groups). The mushrooms grew, created a new ecosystem by attracting insects, bees, butterflies and birds, the toxic waste was eliminated, and the mushrooms were edible. Can mushrooms save the world? Yes, they can.
So, what about you? What experiences or people led you to go green? Who are your green heroes?
“Keep it Green” airs Fridays at 9:30pm ET.
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