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3/30/12 9:42 P

I live 2 miles down the road from the city landfill. Need I say more?

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6/13/11 9:59 P

I grew up in a rural area, around people who raised their own food, including my family, to a degree.
Food prices in the 70s made gardens a groovy idea, and so we had gardens and chickens.

I read all the early Mother Earth News magazines, which will program a kiddo!

As I need those bumps of excitement to keep going-- Beth Terry of fakeplasticfish.com, Van Jones, Joy Hughes of The Solar Gardens Institute solargardensinstitute.org, Greg Ching of Nederland Renewable Energy Project, the folks at vote solar, and the many people working on transportation that does NOT require petroleum.

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5/27/11 9:37 A

My mom's mom. When I was a kid, my grandmother used to take us all to the garden and teach us about the vegetables and why we needed to eat each one, and she'd have us help with weeding, picking, canning, etc. She used to repurpose everything...when we wanted a drink, we got an old jar or yogurt cup instead of a formal glass.

Grandmother also took us camping, so that we could soak in nature, and had us help sort and store the recycling then take it to the recycling center (there was no curbside back then). Having that firm foundation growing up really helped me to know that the environment counts, and being eco-friendly saves a lot of resources AND money.

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5/25/11 2:05 A

I cannot think of anyone specific, but I do know that I have been concerned for the earth since a very young age. I think in part it had to do with my father, who was mainly Native American. I try to encourage everyone to at least start with recycling, and all of my friends know my "rules" for that here at my house. Some of them have taken it upon themselves to do the same.
I suppose in general, when I think future generations, that influences me as well. If I have children, I'd like them to be able to live on a healthy planet.

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12/13/10 1:47 P

When it comes to the bigger world, people like Alice Waters, Wendell Berry, Prince Charles, Al Gore, Ralph Nadar, Jane Goodall, and Vandana Shiva really inspire me.

When it comes to my personal day to day interactions: my college professor, Paul Lovelace, who would teach in the dark because the lights were powered by coal and his wife,Garrett Grady, also a professor, who together started an annual conference in my small town that focused on spirituality and sustainability, leaders and activists of ILoveMountains.org like Danny Chiotos, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth like Beth Bissmeyer and people from the Cumberland Region's Sierra Club like Sherry Otto. I was also quite inspired by April Haight also of my small university town who worked to build a community co-op. Alas, I haven't been as fortunate to find as many great inspirations here in the DC area. I volunteered for The Earth Network and found many wonderful environmentalist namely Boaz Frankel who produced a documentary about all the means of transportation powered by humans and not an engine and is currently working on something for the Sundance Channel I believe.

Thinking about all the wonderful things these people have done, big and small, really makes me feel hopeful about our future.

Edited by: JELLIS1 at: 12/13/2010 (13:48)

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11/25/10 11:42 A

Can't forget Amy Dacyczyn creator of the Tightwad Gazette newsletter. Her outlook, ideas and investigation have been a big influence on me.

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11/15/10 6:54 P

my friend Roberta really helps me out, they have 2 children and have only had one car, now their children are in college and they got rid of that 1 car, they are carless and bike everywhere or walk or take the bus

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11/13/10 9:08 A

I don't think I could pinpoint somebody or a point in time. It is something that just grew in me. I remember that a long time ago, when Still in Brazil, I used to pick up after my dog and I was seen as eccentric (since nobody did). But definitely I got way more active into it after I moved to the US. here there are more possibilities to be eco-friendly..

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11/12/10 8:39 P

SARAHGMD that is quite an interesting show you linked to. Thanks for sharing.

PetuniaP I feel your pain. It is amazing how much is tossed. I worked very briefly for a scavenger who went in ahead of demolitions of 1920's era houses. Even with his doing his bit a lot was dumped.

NJORDGAL. I never read much Mother Earth News but I did real Whole Earth Review which had some of the same eco consciousness raising material, along with lots of tools.

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11/12/10 6:43 P

I went to college in the Bay Area in the late 80s/early 90s. At that point I think we all got inoculated against wastefulness

Seriously, I've been reading Mother Earth News off and on since I had my first apartment. I don't remember why I picked it up, maybe because I was hanging out with a bunch of pagans/Wiccans at the time, and they tend to be a pretty eco conscious group.

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11/12/10 4:56 P

I can't say it is a certain person or book, but during a remodeling project I would visit the local landfill and was so depressed about how much of our junk ends up there....truck loads upon truck loads ... every day.
That's when I decided to reuse and recycle as much as possible.

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11/12/10 4:41 P

One of mine is Joe Dominguez, author of Your Money or Your Life. Joe's book showed how connecting my spending to the effect of my purchase on the environment would encourage me to spend less and enjoy life more.

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11/12/10 4:39 P

Actually I'm listening to a radio program that's doing this right now:
www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201011121000

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11/12/10 4:38 P

Who has opened your mind to environmental related issues? It could be a writer, an activist, or a close friend or relative, anyone really who opened your mind whether you acted on it or not.

Post as many times as you like. Let's spark interest in the people who sparked your interest.

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