Category:Activism

See also Eco-Heroes and Social Entrepreneurs and Activism and Entrepreneurship

Video blog from Greenpeace ship

Ignition: What You Can Do to Fight Global Warming and Spark a Movement by Jonathan Isham (Editor), Sissel Waage (Editor), Bill McKibben (Introduction)

Soul of a Citizen by Paul Loeb tells many stories of activism. The first excerpt here is on the powerful journey of evangelical global climate change activist Rich Cizik. The second is on Gandhi, King and the traps of the perfect standard. The third is how a self-described party girl became a global warming activist. See also his anthology The Impossible Will Take a While. Audio and video interviews (Realplayer)

Worldchanging : a user's guide for the 21st century / edited by Alex Steffen ; foreword by Al Gore ; design by Stagmeister Inc. New York : Abrams, 2006 McH Stacks - HC79.E5 W676 2006

YES! is a nonprofit organization that connects, inspires and collaborates with young changemakers to join forces for a thriving, just and sustainable ways of life for all. Founded in 1990 by two teenagers. video overview. 240 Harkleroad Avenue Santa Cruz, CA 95062 | 831-465-1091

Selected Eco-Heroes

Lester Brown, founder of the Worldwatch Institute, and founder and president of the Earth Policy Institute, a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, D.C. BBC Radio commentator Peter Day calls him "one of the great pioneer environmentalists." Brown is the author or co-author of over 50 books on global environmental issues and his works have been translated into more than forty languages. His most recent book is Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization text interview and links, Video of talk at Google (1/2006), free download of new book. "Saving Civilization Is Not A Spectator Sport"audio Recorded Nov 10 2009in San Francisco, Commonwealth Club (Realaudio)

David Brower Executive Director of the Sierra Club, he had a significant impact on green history in the US. Video biography Monumental can be seen on PBS. [1]. An earlier biographical video is For Earth's Sake: The Life and Times of David Brower and is also the name of a book of his essays. Brower is the subject of the classic biography Encounters with the Archdruid by John McPhee

Rachel Carson (video) episode of Bill Moyer's Journal (includes play based on her life). Rachel Carson's Silent Spring Excellent PBS documentary McHenry Library VT2457 . Essay on Rachel Carson's influence

Majora Carter video ***** Environmental Justice 11/09 audio interview

Lois Gibbs is an environmental activist who discovered that her son’s elementary school was built on top of a toxic waste dump in Niagara Falls, NY. Upon subsequent investigation she discovered that her entire neighborhood was built on the same dump, known as the Love Canal. Gibbs now runs The Center for Health and Environmental Justice. CHEJ can help citizens understand the technical issues and how to get support in fighting environmental injustice. Recent interview with UCSC alum

Van Jones (Oakland CA Environmental Justice). Jones, civil rights leader and founding and executive Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Jones has made a name for himself linking prisons and environmental injustice, working in a pro-active way to ensure that marginalized inner city youth will not miss out on the next wave of “green capitalism.”In this short one page article Van Jones argues against the environmental limits idea, but showing that the damage from Hurricane Katrina was not just the force of nature, but the negligence of the U.S. government. Good simple article for considering how environmental justice gets defined. Interview 2008 book on greening the economy. Book Excerpt. Here is an Oct 2008 interview (audio). 5/09 audio interview

Family farmer and activist Lynn Henning exposed the egregious polluting practices of livestock factory farms in rural Michigan, gaining the attention of the federal EPA and prompting state regulators to issue hundreds of citations for water quality violations. 2010 2010 Goldman Prize winner.

Wangari Mathai First environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize. 11/06 Interview (audio). 2007 audio interview. A new documentary on her will be shown on PBS in mid-April Taking Root, trailer. Video of 2009 talk "Challenge for Africa."

Chico Mendes was killed protecting the Brazilian Rain Forest. Sadly, activists there are still in danger. Recently two Mexican eco-journalists were also killed audio text.

Diane Wilson, a fourth-generation fisherwoman, leads a one-woman crusade against Dow and other petrochemical plants, which create 17% of America’s pollution from her Texas town of 1,352. These factories have turned Seadrift from a traditional fishing port into a massive chemical cocktail that poisons the surrounding air, earth and waters, sardonically dubbed Texas Gold, video excerpt. From Texas to Wall Street to the front lawn of former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson's multi-million dollar mansion on Long Island -- all the while chased by Texas Rangers charged with bringing her to justice -- Diane pursues a reckless industry with a soft drawl, dogged determination and her own special brand of Southern bad-ass fisherwoman humor.

In the 16 years since she began her fight, Diane has received death threats and suffered intimidation tactics; shots were fired at her house from a helicopter and her dog was poisoned.Democracy Now interview Wilson's book, An Unreasonable Woman Beyond Organic Interview

E. O. Wilson biologist TEDtalk video Audio: wonderful interview 11/08). Video of 2009 talk

Ken Saro-Wiwa (1941-95) was executed by the Nigerian government during his fight to prevent the further exploitation of his Ogoni people by the Shell Oil Company. book devoted to him and his writings

Muhammad Yunus founder of the Grameen Bank, which makes micro-loans all over the world, empowering people in many ways, not least of which to give them the option on not exhausting their local habitats in order to survive in the short term. Yunus was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. See also Social Entrepreneur

Books

Dirty Water is the riveting story of how Howard Bennett, a Los Angeles schoolteacher with a gift for outrageous rhetoric, fought pollution in Santa Monica Bay--and won. The story begins in 1985, when many scientists considered the bay to be one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world. The insecticide DDT covered portions of the sea floor. Los Angeles discharged partially treated sewage into its waters. Lifeguards came down with mysterious illnesses. And Howard Bennett happily swam in it every morning.

By accident, Bennett learned that Los Angeles had applied for a waiver from the Clean Water Act to continue discharging sewage into the bay. Incensed that he had been swimming in dirty water, Bennett organized oddball coalition to orchestrate stunts such as wrapping brown ribbon around LA's city hall and issuing Dirty Toilet Awards to chastise the city's administration. This is the fast-paced story of how this unusual cast of characters created an environmental movement in Los Angeles that continues to this day with the nationally recognized Heal the Bay. Character-driven, compelling, and uplifting, Dirty Water tells how even the most polluted water can be cleaned up-by ordinary people. audio interview