Rhiannon Tomtishen & Madison Vorva created Project ORANG (Orangutans Really Appreciate and Need Girls Scouts) in 2007. They discovered that the Girl Scouts' iconic cookies contain palm oil, and that palm oil plantations are one of the leading causes of orangutan habitat destruction. They started a campaign to get the Girl Scouts to replace palm oil with a more eco-friendly oil instead. They have since partnered with Rainforest Action Network, co-authoring a petition that has generated more than 70,000 emails to the Girl Scouts headquarters.  Both a great admirers of Jane Goodall.

Alex Epstein co-founded New York 2 New Orleans Coalition, an network of New York City high school students mobilizing around the parallel struggles of New Orleans and their own communities. When he moved to Philadelphia for college, Alex helped co-found The Philadelphia Urban Creators (PUC) — an outfit of young community organizers trying to build relationships with Philadelphia communities to help them develop sustainably, and equitably, from the ground up. He accepts the Brower Youth Award.

The Brower Youth Awards recognize people ages 13 to 22 living in North America who have shown outstanding leadership on a project or campaign with positive environmental and social impact.

Tania Pulido runs a community garden that's more than just a place to grow food. The Berryland garden in the Iron Triangle neighborhood of Richmond, CA, is also a space where local youth can take summer apprenticeships and learn about issues like climate change and environmental racism. Here is a video about her work in her community, a food desert.  Tania is deeply involved in issues impacting the health of her community, including a campaign against the local Chevron oil refinery. She accepts the Brower Youth Award.

The Brower Youth Awards recognize people ages 13 to 22 living in North America who have shown outstanding leadership on a project or campaign with positive environmental and social impact.  

This is an interview with Barbara Ford and she is responding to a question of how her work has influenced the choices she has made throughout her life. She was interviewed at the Earth & Spirit Council, Earth Day ceremony, April 20 and 21st at Portland Community College/Sylvania in Portland, Oregon when she conducted a workshop on Active Hope. She talks about the many ways she has learned from her teachers and advocates this is not the time to stay small, but offer our particular gifts.  For more about her workshops and classes.

Barbara Ford was interviewed by Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv, voices of sustainability. A second interview is also on EarthSayers, Active Hope, Belonging and Becoming.

This is an interview with Barbara Ford of Gaiaworkshops.net at the Earth & Spirit Council, Earth Day ceremony, April 20 and 21st at Portland Community College/Sylvania in Portland, Oregon. She conducted a workshop on Active Hope and in this interview stresses how the culture of disassociation needs to be balanced by reconnecting and gaining a sense of belonging and becoming, part of her teachings around "Growing Awareness Into Action."

Barbara Ford has been an activist, therapist, facilitator, singer, and artist with over twenty-five years of experience working with individuals and groups, including faith groups, activists, intentional communities, non-profits, and schools. More information on her workshops at Gaiaworkshops.

She was interviewed by Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv, Voices of Sustainability. 

Despite California legislation to address global warming, greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase. Four degree annual temperature rise is what we may expect. Randy Hayes, Rainforest Action Network founder, has been described in the Wall Street Journal as “an environmental pit bull.” He works from Washington DC at Foundation Earth, a new organization rethinking a human order that works within the planet’s life support systems.

How a young activist called Alec Loorz grew to be a main stage speaker at Bioneers.

A riff on our true nature by spoken word artist, Steve Connell.

The following video is Tata Erick Gonzalez' participation at a council held in the ceremonial site of Iximche. The council was part of a sacred pilgrimage to the ancient capital of the Cakchiquel on December 4th 2010.

Subtitled.

The message to forget about guarding oneself and masking who you are, rather, to be honest and dismiss the pretense that everyone wil like you or agree with you is essential to furthering cause of sustainability.  The Reverend Renee Ward courageously champions causes close to her heart without worrying about what people think or whether they agree with her.  Her speech was sponsored by TEDxConcordiaUPortland. Their 2012 schedule of speeches is here.