
Environmental consciousness is mobilizing more than ever these days, and Annie Leonard is ready to step to the forefront.
Greenpeace USA announced Leonard as its new executive director Tuesday afternoon. She will begin her duties in August, but it's obvious that her excitement is already bubbling.
“While the environmental challenges before us are daunting, I have never felt more optimistic about the collective effort to create a more sustainable world,” she said. “There is a new environmental movement in this country that is growing stronger and more diverse every day, and I am honored to return to Greenpeace to help that movement grow even stronger.”
The announcement marks a homecoming of sorts—Leonard began her career at Greenpeace International in 1988. Since then, she has become known for her groundbreaking 2007 video, The Story of Stuff. That examination of the environmental and social impacts of big-box stores, chemicals and more led to a 2010 bestseller of the same name the launch of a nonprofit organization, named The Story of Stuff Project.
Leonard is a member of the boards of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives and Public Citizen. She is not afraid to stand on the front lines. While at Greenpeace, she was arrested for protesting a business that had been exporting hazardous waste to South Africa under apartheid, and dumping it in a Black community.
Greenpeace looks forward to Leonard's leadership, which is sure to include a unique approach to inspiring people to join the fight against climate change, the journey to zero deforestation and protection of our threatened oceans.
“Annie brings a powerful set of skills and talents to a rapidly changing media and online environment,” said Karen Topakian, chair of Greenpeace Inc.'s board. “Her stories explain the broken systems at the root of our environmental crises in simple ways that inspire all of us to work together to create a fairer, more sustainable world.
"She also brings with her powerful personal experience with direct action, a cornerstone of Greenpeace’s mission and identity.”
Greenpeace announced in January that Phil Radford was stepping down from his executive director post after five years as its leader and 10 altogether with the organization. He first told Greenpeace of his plans to leave in September 2013.
——–
YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE
Kids, Parents and Climate Change
Two College Students Show How to Grow Solutions
The Story of Solutions: Changing the Game in Favor of a Sustainable Economy
——–
By Anke Rasper
"Today's interim report from the UNFCCC is a red alert for our planet," said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The report, released Friday, looks at the national climate efforts of 75 states that have already submitted their updated "nationally determined contributions," or NDCs. The countries included in the report are responsible for about 30% of the world's global greenhouse gas emissions.
- World Leaders Fall Short of Meeting Paris Agreement Goal - EcoWatch ›
- UN Climate Change Conference COP26 Delayed to November ... ›
- 5 Years After Paris: How Countries' Climate Policies Match up to ... ›
- Biden Win Puts World 'Within Striking Distance' of 1.5 C Paris Goal ... ›
- Biden Reaffirms Commitment to Rejoining Paris Agreement ... ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
India's New Delhi has been called the "world air pollution capital" for its high concentrations of particulate matter that make it harder for its residents to breathe and see. But one thing has puzzled scientists, according to The Guardian. Why does New Delhi see more blinding smogs than other polluted Asian cities, such as Beijing?
- This Indian Startup Turns Polluted Air Into Climate-Friendly Tiles ... ›
- How to Win the Fight Against Plastic - EcoWatch ›
Trending
In a historic move, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) voted Thursday to ban hydraulic fracking in the region. The ban was supported by all four basin states — New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York — putting a permanent end to hydraulic fracking for natural gas along the 13,539-square-mile basin, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
- Appalachian Fracking Boom Was a Jobs Bust, Finds New Report ... ›
- Long-Awaited EPA Study Says Fracking Pollutes Drinking Water ... ›
- Pennsylvania Fracking Water Contamination Much Higher Than ... ›
Colombia is one of the world's largest producers of coffee, and yet also one of the most economically disadvantaged. According to research by the national statistic center DANE, 35% of the population in Columbia lives in monetary poverty, compared to an estimated 11% in the U.S., according to census data. This has led to a housing insecurity issue throughout the country, one which construction company Woodpecker is working hard to solve.
- Kenyan Engineer Recycles Plastic Into Bricks Stronger Than ... ›
- Could IKEA's New Tiny House Help Fight the Climate Crisis ... ›
New EarthX Special 'Protecting the Amazon' Suggests Ways to Save the World’s Greatest Rainforest
To save the planet, we must save the Amazon rainforest. To save the rainforest, we must save its indigenous peoples. And to do that, we must demarcate their land.
A new EarthxTV film special calls for the protection of the Amazon rainforest and the indigenous people that call it home. EarthxTV.org
- Meet the 'Women Warriors' Protecting the Amazon Forest - EcoWatch ›
- Indigenous Tribes Are Using Drones to Protect the Amazon ... ›
- Amazon Rainforest Will Collapse by 2064, New Study Predicts ... ›
- Deforestation in Amazon Skyrockets to 12-Year High Under Bolsonaro ›
- Amazon Rainforest on the Brink of Turning Into a Net Carbon Emitter ... ›