Annie Marie Leonard (born 1964) is an American proponent of sustainability and a critic of consumerism.[1] She created the animated film The Story of Stuff (2007), which describes the life cycle of material goods. In 2014, she became the executive director of Greenpeace USA.[2]
Annie Louise Leonard | |
|---|---|
 Leonard in February 2018 | |
| Born | 1964 (age 59–60) Seattle, Washington |
| Occupation | Executive Director, Greenpeace USA |
| Genre | Consumerism, Ecology |
| Notable works | The Story of Stuff |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | |
| storyofstuff | |
Biography
editEarly life and education
editLeonard was born in Seattle, Washington, where she also grew up. She graduated from the Lakeside School, and received an undergraduate degree from Barnard College in 1987 and a graduate degree from Cornell University in City and Regional Planning.[3]
Career
editAfter interning at the National Wildlife Federation in the late 1980s, Leonard began working with Greenpeace on a campaign to ban international waste dumping, traveling around the world to track garbage and hazardous waste sent from developed to less developed countries. "I was sneaking into the factories where it was being disposed, interviewing the workers, taking hair samples and soil samples to prove the environmental health harm," she later explained in an interview with Cornell University.[4]
In 1992, she testified in front of the US Congress on the topic of international waste trafficking.[3] The work of Greenpeace and other organizations led to the 1992 Basel Convention, an international treaty to protect less developed countries from the dumping of hazardous waste by transnational corporations based in developed countries.[5]
Leonard is best known as the creator and narrator of the animated documentary about the life cycle of material goods, The Story of Stuff (2007). The documentary began as an hour-long talk and was made into a condensed film version based on popular demand. She also wrote a book version of the film, published in 2010 in the United States by Free Press of Simon & Schuster,[6] in the UK by Constable & Robinson, and in Germany by Econ Verlag.[7]
After The Story of Stuff, she created The Story of Cap and Trade (2009), which addresses emissions trading. Subsequent productions include The Story of Bottled Water,[8] The Story of Cosmetics, The Story of Electronics, The Story of Citizens United v. FEC, The Story of Broke, The Story of Change, and The Story of Solutions.
In addition to her work on the Story of Stuff films, Leonard was co-creator and coordinator of GAIA (the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives[9][10]), serving on the boards of International Forum on Globalization (IFG) and the Environmental Health Fund.[11] She previously worked for Health Care Without Harm, Essential Information, and Greenpeace International, and was coordinator of the Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption.[1]
Leonard was named the executive director for Greenpeace USA in May 2014.[12]
In March 2022, actress and climate activist Jane Fonda co-founded the Jane Fonda Climate PAC (political action committee) with Leonard.[13][14]
Personal life
editLeonard lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her daughter Dewi, born in 1999.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b Terrence McNally (January 10, 2008). "Consuming Our Way to Unhappiness". AlterNet.
- ^ "Greenpeace USA Announces New Leader: Annie Leonard, Creator of 'Story of Stuff' Video and Project". Greenpeace. May 6, 2014.
- ^ a b "Annie Leonard's bio". Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2008.
- ^ Wilensky, Joe (May 25, 2013). "After 25 years, 'Story of Stuff' creator finishes her degree". Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- ^ "After 25 years, 'Story of Stuff' creator finishes her degree". news.cornell.edu. May 2013.
- ^ "Annie Leonard Google Profile". Retrieved November 18, 2009.
- ^ Leonard, Annie. The Story of Stuff.
- ^ "Annie Leonard's "Story of Bottled Water" Should Make Fiji Nervous". Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
- ^ "Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives". No-Burn.org. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016.
- ^ "Zero Waste: A New Vision review". Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
- ^ "Environmental Health Fund". environmentalhealthfund.org.
- ^ a b "Greenpeace USA's new leader: 'You don't have to chain yourself to something'". Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^ Hirsh, Sophie (March 18, 2022). "The Jane Fonda Climate PAC Is Working to Keep Fossil Fuel-Funded Candidates Out of Office". Green Matters. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "Jane Fonda discusses her climate activism while campaigning for Garcia Richard". Yahoo News. September 30, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
External links
edit- Official website
- Satalia, Patty (2010). "Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff". WPSU-TV. Conversations. Penn State. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
- Appearances on C-SPAN