Top Green Voices

Greenworlder Top Voices 2023 - Pioneering a Greener Future Together is our global initiative where we bring the most brilliant minds in climate change and sustainability together to co-create a strategy for transforming our world into a thriving eco-friendly haven.

Betsy Rosenberg

Award-winning journalist & environmental media pioneer. Dedicated to eco-communication, solutions-oriented interviewing, and sharing vital stories. Founder of www.GreenTV.com, a leading-edge green programming platform.

Betsy Rosenberg is the first sustainability expert we invited over to the platform and to kick things off, she wrote an expert article about the lack of mainstream media coverage on climate change.

Raising the Alarm: How Mainstream Media Fails to Cover Environmental News

written by: Betsy Rosenberg

When the Greenworlder team approached me with the opportunity to share my opinion in an article for this exciting new platform, I immediately knew what topic to choose. You could consider it a bit of an obsession as I’ve been hyper-focused on our urgent need to fight climate catastrophe for the past quarter century.

That’s how long I’ve been interviewing environmental leaders on all shades of green topics be they scientists, advocates, activists, authors, artists, green biz and tech experts, or the too few politicians who actually care about our planet’s future.

My particular preoccupation has long been with the dearth of mainstream media coverage on climate and other critically important environmental news, since we know how impactful media support can be for life and death emergencies like Covid. It is no longer an exaggeration to say that if ignored by society, the worsening interrelated climate, ocean, biodiversity, etc. crises threaten to bring an end to this human experiment. It has become increasingly evident that we must protect and preserve our life support system or face an increasingly dangerous and precarious future.

It is mind-boggling to me, and others, that twenty-five years into creating self-funded independent green media programs, there is still almost no support for this key missing piece of the puzzle. If we fail to educate, engage, inform and inspire the masses to act with greater stewardship and urgency, we cannot succeed in meeting emissions reductions deadlines rapidly approaching. With just a little over six years remaining until the date scientists agree we must decrease greenhouse gas emissions by half, we cannot achieve this goal without mobilizing millions of Americans and global citizens in the fight for our lives, and for our children's futures.

I’d bet my life on it ––because I already have.

As host and producer of several environmentally focused radio shows, including the first to air daily, I have reported on the billions of dollars that have been invested in clean tech, as well as the millions now being granted to organizations addressing environmental injustice. These are both crucial areas of importance but a key overlooked area of focus remains, begging the question: who is supporting independent media channels working to address the “green gap” in news stemming from corporate media’s slow and anemic coverage of the climate crisis?

Admittedly the situation has noticeably improved over the last few years but the coverage is still only the tip of a melting iceberg, and that is true especially of television news. Although the major networks have gotten over their aversion to mentioning climate change -- it's pretty hard to ignore the green elephant in the room—none of them have offered the very content that could actually reduce the threat; solutions-based programming aimed at the general public, still largely unaware of these existential topics!

With only about 3% of philanthropic dollars going to support environmental issues, and only a tiny fraction of that percentage funding environmental education in adults —who did not learn about ecology in school— is it any wonder our collective Eco-IQ is so low? Can we really be shocked that millions of Americans are still voting for politicians who don’t acknowledge the science at the heart of climate change?

As someone who has been in the forefront of creating environmental news and views programming for radio audiences, I have acquired a wealth of knowledge from interviewing hundreds of experts with much needed wisdom to share. The real shame is that I had to leave network news in order to cover the green beat. That was the bleak reality 20 years ago when I decided to quit covering breaking news to focus exclusively on our broken planet. The fact that this is still the case in 2023 is a tragedy; personally, professionally and most importantly, planetarily.

In any other specialty area deep experience would be a valuable asset, why should eco-expertise not hold the same appeal to programmers? The answer is there is a green bias. The irony is that unlike the focus for sports, business, or tech journalists, news about our warming world has life and death consequences.

What is even more ironic – or moronic—is that ignoring, marginalizing or in the case of right-wing media outlets, lying about climate science has long term irreversible consequences for humanity! This is what I often say about our society’s environ-mental illness.

Our response to this insanity is GreenTV.com, the online media platform I co-founded to tell the truth, connect the dots and focus on solutions. Our small team of eco-savvy volunteers opted to be a public benefit corporation rather than a non-profit because we knew it’d be an uphill battle to get funding. However, as a scrappy startup, we’re forced to pitch venture capitalists who traditionally do not invest in independent media, or much media at all. So as we seek funding to grow into a 24/7 streaming green media channel we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place… as our planet burns. To add insult to injury, millions are being invested in commercially popular media including movies with fake dramas, silly plots and filled with gratuitous violence. Americans are being distracted to death.

The team at GreenTV is pleased to welcome Greenworlder into the media mix of platforms aiming to leave a positive mark on the world. Let's hope the next 25 years are much more sustainable, on all fronts, and that more information outlets join us in this fight of—and for--our lives.

Robin Greenfield

An activist and humanitarian dedicated to leading the way to a more sustainable, just and equal world.

He embarks on extreme projects to bring attention to important global issues and inspire positive change. His work has been covered by media worldwide including National Geographic and he’s been named “The Robin Hood of Modern Times” by France 2 TV. Robin’s life is an embodiment of Gandhi’s philosophy, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

He believes that our actions really do matter and that as individuals, and communities we have the power to improve the world around us. Robin donates 100% of his media earnings to grassroots nonprofits and has committed to living simply and responsibly for life.

From millionaire by 30 to The Forest Gump of Ecology

written by: Robin Greenfield

My journey in activism began in 2011. I was living a pretty typical US American lifestyle. I was focused on material possessions and financial wealth. In fact, I even had a goal of becoming a millionaire by the time I turned 30. However, it wasn’t long until my dreams and ambitions shifted and became more about experimenting with sustainability and learning to live in harmony with the Earth.

I started to watch a lot of documentaries and read many books and soon learned that the way I was living was causing an incredible amount of destruction to the world. Where I once didn’t see any error in my ways, I was now able to recognize this destruction in a variety of areas, from the food I was eating to the car I was driving, the gas I pumped into the car, the cheap junk I was buying, the trash I was creating, and even the water I was drinking.

I realized that all of these actions caused destruction to people, the planet, and the plants and animals we share this home with.

In 2011, I was 25 years old and I just said to myself that I cannot continue this way for maybe 50 more years I am alive on the Earth. I decided I wanted to do things differently and learn to live in harmony with the Earth. Some may think this sounds cliché, but I sought to live in a way that wasn’t so destructive to the planet. The truth is, this isn’t much to ask for.

My activism journey has been routed in the idea of leading by example, being the change I wish to see, and pursuing the truth. My life took a turn in 2011, and I switched from pursuing a relatively traditional US American lifestyle to one that seeks the truth in overcoming the delusion of materialism and industrialization. I can’t control the world, but there’s one thing I can control, and that’s myself. I can take responsibility for my own actions.

I took this a step further and decided to engage in extreme activism and provocative stunts. My aim was to reach millions of people but also to reach those who rarely think about environmental issues and enlighten them that they can make a difference through their choices. The majority of the media we consume does not focus on messages of simply living in harmony but advocates heavily for consumption. My goal is to get into the mainstream to show there is another way that is more beneficial for the planet.

One such thought-provoking stunt was the Trash Me Campaign, which saw me consume like an average US American for 30 days, but there was one catch: I wore every piece of trash I created. The average US American creates approximately 4.5 pounds of trash every day, and so each day, I got bigger and bigger, and my trash suit continued to grow. People were able to follow along and watch my journey. The idea behind the campaign was to expose the truth of our consumerism and give people a visual they would never forget.

I was essentially a walking billboard for the truth behind our consumption. The campaign resonated extremely well; millions of people saw the project, and it encouraged them to make instant positive changes. The idea behind my activism is that it creates an opportunity for self-reflection too. Campaigns like these serve as an opportunity for people to question their lives and ask themselves: am I really living the life that I want? In addition to these campaigns, I’ve tried to live simply and sustainably.

For one whole year, I grew and foraged 100 percent of my food. I didn’t go to grocery stores, restaurants, or even enjoy a cold beer at the bar. Nature became my garden, my pantry, and my pharmacy. Despite what you might envision, I lived in an urban environment in Florida, in a 100-square-foot (9.29 square meters) tiny house built from repurposed materials. I didn’t have any land of my own so I grew food in the front gardens of people in my neighborhood and shared the bounty with them.

I grew over 100 different foods in my gardens and foraged over 200 foods from nature. Having explored food for almost a decade, I believe the globalized and industrialized food system is broken. Growing food is something we can all do to reduce our environmental impact and live in more harmony with Earth. To make growing food the norm, people can consider growing it in public spaces. By doing this, other people can see it, which sparks inspiration. If even 10 percent of us started to grow food in our front gardens, that would transform our communities.

It would also increase the connection many of us have with our food. For me, advocating for sustainability is a matter of speaking about these things not in a judgmental way but simply educating. Joy is not a matter of sacrifice; I rarely make any sacrifices. I’m just choosing to live the life I really want; a life in harmony with the Earth, with humanity, and with our plant and animal relatives. When I give things up, I’m not really giving things up. I make space and time for doing what I really want, which for me is living in service and living in truth.

Learn more about Robin and his work:

Website:

https://www.robingreenfield.org/

Creative Commons:

https://www.robingreenfield.org/creativecommons/

Social media:

www.facebook.com/robgreenfield

www.youtube.com/robgreenfield

www.instagram.com/robjgreenfield @RobJGreenfield

www.twitter.com/robjgreenfield @RobJGreenfield

Rebecca Prince-Ruiz

Rebecca Prince-Ruiz is the founder of Plastic Free July, a global movement that helps millions of people and organisations be part of the solution to plastic pollution.

Regarded as ‘Australia’s best known plastic activist’, in 2021 Rebecca received the prestigious WA Australian of the Year Local Hero Award. Rebecca is a seasoned presenter to global audiences, media spokesperson, TEDx speaker, and sustainability professional who is motivated to care for people and the planet.
A Churchill fellow and co-author of Plastic Free: The Inspiring Story of a Global Environmental Movement and Why It Matters, she believes that by changing our relationship with plastic and challenging our consumption together, we can take action to end plastic waste and enjoy a healthy world.

Small steps, big difference: how millions of people are tackling plastic pollution

written by: Rebecca Prince-Ruiz

As plastic production increases exponentially and plastic pollution grows and the impacts on human health and human rights becomes more apparent every year, governments worldwide are negotiating a global treaty to end plastic pollution.

If we do not act and continue with business as usual, plastic pollution into the oceans is projected to quadruple by 2040, costing the world more than $100bn per year.

To end plastic pollution, we cannot just rely on recycling or cleaning up our way out of this problem. Humans are using as much ecological resources as if we lived on 1.75 Earths. According to the UN Environment Programme, the common thread that runs through the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution, is unsustainable production and consumption.

This is where the annual challenge now known as Plastic Free July comes in. Started in the remote city of Perth, Western Australia with just 40 people in 2011, the challenge has grown to become a global social movement, inspiring and supporting millions of people to reduce and refuse single-use plastics.

The campaign tackles the problem at the source by “turning off the plastics tap” and does this by focusing on solutions and sharing ideas rather than raising awareness or education people. It has been our pleasure this year to have people from the greenworlder community joining the challenge, sharing ideas, supporting each other and together making a difference.

Our campaign motto “Small steps, big difference” speaks to the core of the approach. This isn’t about a few people being perfect and avoiding all single-use plastic (this is my 13th Plastic Free July and our family has made lots of changes over the years but we still find some plastic hard to avoid).

In the beginning people start by joining the challenge at Plasticfreejuly.org and then choosing one or two items to avoid and create new habits. From remembering reusable shopping bags, water bottles and coffee cups to refuse plastic straws, switching from liquid soap in plastic bottles to bar soap or choosing unpackaged produce, through our communities there are lots of ideas to try.

Once participants have started to make changes in their own lives and feel good about the waste they have avoided (and their trash bins less full), many choose to share the challenge by taking it into their community, workplaces and schools.

Our 2023 Impact Report shares the impact that these small steps create as well as stories from participants around the world. From schools in Nepal and Argentina to community groups in New Zealand, NGOs in Africa, businesses in Europe, sari sari stores in Manila and hotels across Asia, there are so many stories to inspire and empower. Indeed, one of my hardest jobs each year is selected just a few out of the thousands to include in our Impact Report.

Over the last decade, July has become the month on the global calendar to take action on plastic waste. Indeed, in 2023 US Senators introduced a resolution designating July as “Plastic Pollution Action Month”, joining dozens of municipalities around the world that have officially proclaimed July as 'Plastic Free July'.

Big Picture Impact

Over the last 5 years, hundreds of millions of participants have collectively avoided 10 billion kgs of waste, including 1.4 billion kgs of plastic, more than some of the world’s biggest clean-up efforts combined.
The campaign has inspired 223 million behaviour changes, setting a benchmark for behaviour change projects.
An average reduction of 18 kg in waste and recycling per person per year has been achieved, meaning an incredible 4.1% decrease in waste generation.
Participants have strong social connections and a positive sense of well-being.

2023 Highlights

An estimated 89 million individuals participated globally.
Engagement reached over 190 countries.
Workplaces (14,224), communities and schools (7,248), and cafes and retail stores (5,835) actively participated.
87% of participants made at least one lasting change.
In 2023, participants reduced their households’:
- Non-recoverable waste by 900 million kg.
- Recyclable waste by 700 million kg.

These are amazing numbers that are hard to imagine – after all, we have nothing to show for “success”, just emptier bins and a cleaner environment. I feel honoured to have connected with so many people around the world who are taking part and making a difference – I know it adds up and has far reaching impact.

I’m delighted to be able to share just a few of the stories from people who participated in this year’s campaign:

The Marriot in Hong Kong introduced a ‘Deplastify your Lunch” challenge, encouraging employees to adopt sustainable lunch habits that carry on outside the corporate lunchroom.
New Zealand’s Wanaka Wastebusters galvanised local action, making and distributing reusable produce bags to foster plastic free choices at supermarkets.
Manila’s “Kuha sa Tingi” initiative, a collaboration between Greenpeace Philippines and Impact Hub, has helped to provide ‘sari sari’ stores with refilling stations for common household-cleaning and personal-care products, to offer a sustainable community alternative to single-use sachets that are a frequently littered item.
Atomic Energy Central School in India engaged young minds with a take-home activity that turned cloth bags into canvases, encouraging parents of the year 3 and 4 students to embrace reusable options over plastic.
LAX airport banned the sale of plastic water bottles in July and Wimbledon switched to refillable bottles for players and introduced a reusable cup scheme for juices, reducing plastic waste during the tournament.

When people take action at this scale, it creates the community change that influences corporate and government policy, meaning our actions play an important role in creating the systemic change we need to end plastic pollution.

We hope you will join millions of people reducing their plastic waste so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you choose to refuse single-use plastics?