Some of the greatest innovations that have changed our world were created by everyday people who thought it, then did something about it.
If you’re thinking you would like to be a part of healing the Earth, then know that not only can you, you are the solution to our environmental problems. You are our only hope.
It’s with your participation that we can collectively create a world that is sustainable for all of us. We would like to introduce you to seven souls who changed the world. Not because they were special first. It’s because they had an idea, then made it a reality.
You can do this too. It all starts with a spark. That’s how innovation begins. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of 7 famous conservationists and what sparked their desire to conserve the planet.
1. Dr. Seuss
The master author wrote more than 60 children’s books in his lifetime. It’s one book that he wrote that really gets him added to this list in terms of raising awareness for the need to conserve the environment. In his book The Lorax, he tells of the Lorax and what happens to them when they lose their habitat. He also talks about how greed drives industry that cares only about the current currency and not the future of the world. He wrote that book so that it can be read to children and spark the future leaders who will heal the planet. If you’re looking for a way to become a conservationist, you can do that by reading this book to a young child. He used his genius to educate children on the importance of conservation. With a swipe of his pen he changed the world. His work is far from done. We can’t all be like him, but we can all make a small change that will save our planet.
2. 4THEOCEAN BRACELET – Alex & Andrew
Alex and Andrew took a surf trip to Bali, Indonesia that would inevitably change their lives. Devastated by the amount of plastic in the ocean, they set out to find out why nothing was being done. They came across an old fishing village where fishermen were literally pushing their boat through piles of plastic that had washed up on shore. The 2 surfers explained to the fishermen that someone has to do something about this if they want to continue fishing or there would be no fish left. They even continued to explain that their fishing nets are the perfect tool to gather the plastic from the ocean. “But we don’t get paid to collect plastic” they said, “we get paid to catch fish”… This line stuck with the 2 surfers and they knew it was time to hit the drawing board. After realizing that the demand for seafood was driving the fishermen to focus on fish instead of plastic, they knew they had to create something that could fund the desired cleanup efforts. This is how the 4Ocean Bracelet was born.
Made from recycled materials, every bracelet purchased funds the removal of 1 pound (450G) of trash from the ocean and coastlines. In less than 2 years, 4theOcean has removed 629,942 pounds of trash from the ocean and coastlines.
Read more: 4OCEAN BRACELET
3. Fernando Llanos
With architect Oscar Medez, this amazing duo came up with the idea to make bricks from recycled plastic. The best part of these homes made from recycled material are the price tag. One of these beauties only cost around $6,800. That’s right, they are very affordable and made from material that would normal stay in a landfill for a thousand years or become a part of the great sea of plastic that is coating parts of our ocean. We all want a roof over our heads. These homes only take about 5 days per week to build. With this concept everyone who wants a house will have one. Plastic waste is a huge problem in our world right now. Their focus for Earth Day was plastic, as it is one of our biggest issues. Helping build houses made from recycled plastic is a wonderful way to help reduce our footprint on Earth.
4. Steve Backshall
If you are looking for a one-man-does-it-all look no further. Steve Backshall is a wildlife enthusiast and presenter. He is an explorer and daredevil who turns on a lens of his life for all the rest of us. Backshall gives us a bird’s eye view of nature and really lets on all in on the world’s least kept secret: nature is wonderful! We don’t have to sit complacently and watch the world’s great species become extinct one-by-one. We can all do something to stop this from happening. Steve Backshall, through education, lets us all look at the wonders of our world and why we all should take a step towards saving this wonderful world we call call home. We can all start by becoming conscious consumers. That one thing alone can save our majestic orangutans who are fighting for their lives and habitat. To find out more about Orangutan Alliance and how you can help save this gentle species please visit us.
5. Leonardo DiCaprio
You don’t need a conservation title to use your role to create change. Everyone knows Leonardo De Caprio for his good-looks. What a lot of people don’t know is he has used millions of his own dollars in order to save the rainforests. We all know him for drowning in the end of Titanic. What a lot of us don’t know is he even has his own foundation dedicated to saving the rainforests. It’s no wonder he dated the Brazilian beauty Gisele, a lot of the Leonardo De Caprio Foundation focuses a lot of its work on saving the rainforests of the Amazon—her neck of the woods—and is entirely dedicated to preserving this wonderful place on our planet. Orangutan habitat is fast becoming farms for palm oil. The best way to preserve a species is to save their habitat. If you want to help preserve this species and their forest then support one of the wonderful groups working in conservation of these creatures or purchase with purpose and look for Orangutan Alliance Palm Oil Free Certified Products.
6. Jane Goodall
She is a primatologist and expert on chimpanzees. By researching and giving talks on chimps, she inspires all of us to love all of Earth’s creatures and lights a desire for us to all be of help to keeping the Earth stable for all life. She is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots & Shoots program. Goodall serves on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project and is a UN Messenger of Peace. When she isn’t talking to chimps, she is educating us on their behavior and travels the world talking about them and educating us on our mammalian cousins.
7. Ansel Adams
He is known as one of the greatest photographers of all time. The black and white landscape photos of Adams still draw crowds and give all of us a glimpse of nature through his lens. His prints are still sold to this day and he is known as one of the greatest photographers of all time. When he took pictures it was a lot more work than it is today. All of us can be environmentalists by taking a picture of something in nature that is beautiful and posting it on our social media. If people see it, they want to save it.
These environmental trailblazers really have used their skills to spread awareness or create new innovation to conserve or to raise awareness and even new technology to save the planet. While the battle for to protect the planet is more rampant than ever, all of us can participate in taking one step to protect the planet and all those who live in it.
We can come together and remove straws from our daily routine, we can bring our own shopping bags to the grocery store, donate to a cause, start checking labels, find out how our products are sourced and consider palm oil free products.
