The 2011 Local Hero Nominees
Real people making a real difference: 25 worthy nominees for a 2011 Heart of Green Award.
Meet the The Heart of Green Awards honor individuals, companies and organizations that have helped green go mainstream. In 2009 and 2010, The Daily Green celebrated its Heart of Green winners with an exclusive party; in 2011, we\'re taking the awards to the people. You will vote on your favorite winners, and we\'ll announce the results online. We\'re also broadening the categories to include a richer variety of people, places and things deserving of attention. The type of person deserving of our Local Hero award has not changed:\n\n
Who in your community deserves to be recognized? Is it the organizer of a local farmers\' market ... or the local farmer herself? Maybe it\'s the shopkeeper who refuses to sell suspect plastics ... or the construction worker who donated his time to weatherize neighborhood homes. Is it the mayor who installed solar power panels on the town hall ... or the watchdog who held the mayor accountable for a bad decision? Maybe it\'s the person who organized a local rally, or rallied locals to go help clean up the Gulf after the oil spill.
\n\nTell us, and the rest of The Daily Green audience, why your nominee deserves to be recognized with a Heart of Green Award. We\'ll recognize many of the nominees by publishing your accounts of their good deeds on The Daily Green. (Nomination guidelines are on the next page in this feature.)
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/gq/HOG-2011-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/Fr/HOG-2011-logo-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide2", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "terry-mullin-viridistor", title: "Terry Mullin, CEO of ViridiSTOR", description: "2011 Local Hero Award: Nominee
\n\n\"I would like to nominate Terry Mullin for the Daily Green\'s heart of green Awards 2011. Terry is the founder and CEO of ViridiSTOR, a new technology company whose \'Green Box Solution\' dramatically reduces the environmental impact of paper-based materials at trade shows and conferences.
\n \n\"Terry\'s career has been spent championing ways to reduce or eliminate the use of paper through the use of technology. His work with companies such as FileNet and Quest Software resulted in products that allow users to view, file, and store reports and other content electronically, thus saving tons of paper.
\n \n\"With ViridiSTOR Terry has turned his sights to the trade show industry which is second only to the construction industry in the amount of waste it generates. The Green Box Solution provides show exhibitors with a Green Box that contains all of their brochures, literature, and materials in electronic form. Show attendees are given a free USB drive that they use to plug into the Green Box and download materials rather than collect bags of paper handouts and catalogs. And because the Green Box Solution actually reduces costs (exhibitors no longer have to print and ship costly materials to shows), Terry has devised a way to overcome one of the biggest obstacles to make a show greener, the cost.
\n \n\"Not only is Terry committed to \'greening\' trade shows, but he is also focused on education and the local community. As ViridiSTOR grows, he has plans to create a non-profit to recycle and provide use USB drives to schools and organizations in need.\"
\n\nNominated by: Jeff Lau, director of product management at ViridiSTOR
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/sy/hog2011-local-hero-terry-mullin-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/YV/hog2011-local-hero-terry-mullin-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide3", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "beth-fiteni", title: "Beth Fiteni, green evangelist", description: "2011 Local Hero Award: Nominee
\n\n\"I have known Beth Fiteni for three years. She works tirelessly to spread the word of greener living all over Long Island, N.Y. She lectures, has seminars and has thorough presentations, like \'Global Warming and its Local Solutions,\' that she gives to groups in many locations.
\n \n\"Her education and training gives her an excellent platform to get more people on board in an area that, quite frankly, has been called the \'disposable waste capital of the world.\' She is able to bridge gaps and explain environmental matters in simple ways to make it more understandable for average folk. And it\'s all done with a minimum budget.
\n \n\"Beth is the most committed person I know in the environmental field. She truly is a remarkable person and doesn\'t receive near enough credit for all she does.\"
\n\nNominated by: Robert Meinke, owner of Greener Country in Bohemia, N.Y.
\n\nMore about Beth Fiteni:\n\n- Program Director for the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College in Rockville Centre, N.Y., where she is an adjunct professor of Environmental Policy. \n
- Coordinator of the Clean Energy Leadership Task Force, which has helped 10 municipalities adopt an Energy Star-code for new home construction – a first-of-its-kind effort in the U.S. \n
- Serves on the Town of Huntington\'s Renewable Energy Task Force. \n
- Core leader of the LI Climate Action Network. \n
- Co-founded Long Island Interfaith Environment Network, which help local places of worship be \"greener\" and more energy efficient, while educating their congregations on environmental stewardship issues. \n
- Coordinated, for nine years, the Organic Turf Trade Show, and compiled Long Island\'s List of Organic Landscapers. \n
- Lecturer on non-toxic and green living topics. \n
- Awarded the Environmental Protection Agency\'s Environmental Quality Award in 2010 for creating ribbet.org, about children\'s environmental health. \n
- Awarded the \"Long Islanders Who Have Made a Difference\" award by the Long Island Progressive Coalition 2011. \n
- Named to the Long Island Business News\'s list of 40 Under 40.
2011 Local Hero Award: Nominee
\n\n\"I would like to nominate Robert Meinke, owner of Greener Country, for the 2011 Heart of Green Local Hero award. Robert gave up a career in real estate to follow his passion. He attended green expos in Chicago and Washington, D.C., and realized that none of the eco products he saw there were being made or marketed in New York. So with his wife\'s help, he opened a store on Long Island to expand the options here locally. Though a businessman, he is very dedicated to the green cause and to promoting green products for the benefit of the planet. He has attended numerous events around the area to help educate people about alternative products. He carries hundreds of different products, from solar gadgets to hemp handbags to tree-free paper goods, that he vets to make sure they meet his standards.
\n\n\"This is the best, and basically only, green store of its kind on Long Island and he is true pioneer. Even when times are tough he has not lost his dedication to his store. He has a wealth of knowledge of eco-friendly items and is always generous in supporting events held by local environmental groups.\"
\n\nNominated by: Beth Fiteni
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\n\nI would like to nominate Rodman Schley for the 2011 Heart of Green Award. In addition to our video nomination, I would like to tell you a little bit about how Rodman is using media to create global awareness about small changes that can make a big difference on our environment.
\n\nI am currently one of the executive producers of a show titled, The Urban Conversion. In 2009, Rodman approached me with an idea he had. At that time, Rodman was a very conservative businessman who owned 13 businesses in Colorado, and had a fairly large carbon footprint. He had just taken a good hard look at his life, and at the negative impact that he was having on his environment. He did some research, and ultimately discovered that he was not living much differently than most urbanites. He was very upset to see the negative impact he was having on his environment, so he decided that he would not only make significant changes to his life, but create a platform that would allow people to be a part of his learning process in order to educate others on how they too can make these changes.
\n\nIn response to his new awareness, he created the show, The Urban Conversion (coined as urban homesteading for dummies), to allow viewers to follow his personal transformation, and to learn about how they too can make small changes that have a significant positive impact on their environment and planet. His idea led to a show that was not \"preachy,\" and allows viewers to poke fun at him in order to convey a positive global message through humor.
\n\nRodman started his journey to being a steward of the environment in 2009, and has dedicated himself to continually creating global change. I feel very fortunate to be working with Rodman now as the executive producer of this show, and share the same dedication and passion for positive environmental change. His show and message have already reached over 100,000 people, and has inspired significant collaboration and change (and the show has not even hit the air yet). Many people have ideas on how they can have a positive impact on their planet, but Rodman is the kind of guy who does something about it. This is why he is my nomination for the Heart of Green Award.
\n\nNominated by: Tim Nyman, executive producer, The Urban Conversion.
\n", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/2G/rodman-schley-urban-conversion-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/tV/rodman-schley-urban-conversion-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide6", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "dr-maya-shetreat-klein", title: "Dr. Maya Shetreat-Klein, pediatric neurologist", description: "2011 Local Hero Award: Nominee
\n\n\"Dr. Maya Shetreat-Klein is a tireless advocate for a better food system. She is not the type of pediatric neurologist who would put your child on ADD medication; instead, she explains the role that food plays in the developing brain. She works with parents to help them navigate eating choices in an often-treacherous food environment. She completed a two year fellowship in Integrative Medicine and teaches at New York Medical College and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and lectures nationally and internationally.
\n\n\"A lifelong environmental activist, Dr. Shetreat-Klein\'s passion is to understand the connection between food, environmental exposures and health.
\n\n\"Maya is also a member of the Better School Food advisory board. Better School Food is a 501c3 non-profit organization that supports those who are advocating for a better food environment in schools.\"
\n\n\nNominated by: Dr. Susan Rubin, founder and director of Better School Food
\n\nMore about Dr. Shetreat-Klein:
\n\n- Founded Brainmending, a board-certified integrative pediatric neurology practice that treats neurological issues using a \"natural approach\" that includes nutrition, herbs, mind-body techniques and homeopathy. \n
- Founded an educational urban farm with chickens, a rooftop beehive, organic fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables and mushroom logs – all behind her office. \n
- Founded Mitzvah Meat and Mindful Meat, which sells grass-fed, kosher and \"compassionately-slaughtered\" meats. \n
- Serves on the boards of Hazon, Vision of Wholeness, Healthy Child, Autism Society’s Treatment Guided Research Initiative and Better School Food.
2011 Local Hero Award: Nominee
\n\nI am a volunteer member of the Femi Oye-led goSolarAfrica project team. For over three years, Femi Oye has reached thousands of Nigerians with messages of energy efficiency and renewable energy.
\n\nHe distributed 3,000 free CFL (energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs) during the Lekki go Green campaign to mark the world climate change day in Lagos. He created an informational video and DVD that he distributes and he also gives out small PV (photovoltaic) panels to educate students and local communities about the benefits of solar electricity, and how it can help solve Nigeria’s worst power problems. He led a team to power a whole community with a solar system during the FIFA 2010 World Cup so the poor community could be connected with the world during the season.
\n\nCurrently, Femi Oye is set to replace 1 million kerosene lanterns and candles with a unique solar lantern, and in the process help Nigerian poor save some of the $1 billion spent daily on fossil fuel. He is also offering energy loans to the poor, where loans are only typically available to the rich, so they too will be able to afford and use green technologies. In late 2010, he started a green jobs campaign that aims to create an additional 1 million green jobs in Nigeria by 2015 through a multi-stakeholder participatory model. In six years, 1,000 graduates have had six-month internships with his organization, goSolarAfrica.
\n\nHe creatively drives his program with enterprising solutions toward fighting climate change and ending poverty. As he says, climate change is a good business!
\n\nNominated by: Lanre Ologunoye
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/wX/femi-oye-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/n5/femi-oye-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide8", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "allison-and-jillian-samowitz", title: "Allison and Jillian Samowitz, founders of Proseed2Green", description: "2011 Local Hero Award: Nominee
\n\n\n\"I know, I know, a mom nominating her kids but truly they are doing a remarkable thing and I want everyone to know it.
\n\n\"More than nine months ago, my then-14-year-old twin daughters looked at our town\'s two-year beautification project and thought, \"why aren\'t they looking beyond just the façade?\" Our small oceanside town, with 370 homes and 1,200 residents, barely had a recycling rate of 20%. Together, Allison and Jillian designed a project and primer to help small towns transform the way that they dispose of garbage. They researched the town\'s expenditures on garbage and recycling and will use those numbers over the next year to see if education combined with visible programs can make a difference. Their organization is Proseed2Green, whose mission statement is \"to develop environmental programs with community participation that will have a positive impact, locally and globally, and that are fiscally responsible.\" They have developed a website and Facebook page, which launched in February.
\n\n\"My two 15-year-olds have spent all their free time recruiting vendors and business for their first E-vent March 13 in the Town of Golden Beach, Fla. For the E-vent, they have recruited our local and county waste and recycling companies to educate our residents. They convinced Best Buy to send a box truck to collect electronics, cell phones, batteries and ink cartridges for recycling. Residents can also recycle footwear with Crocs and Nike, eyeglasses with the Lions Club, and books for Conine Clubhouse (part of Joe DiMaggio Children\'s hospital). They are awaiting a sponsor for a medication take-back program, to prevent the continued pollution from drugs dumped into our landfills and toilets.
\n\n\"To add excitement to the E-vent, Tesla, Lexus, Audi, Toyota and Ford will showcase electric and hybrid vehicles. Eco-friendly cleaning products and solar energy will be on display. Residents can learn about community gardening, composting and water reclamation that day too. There will be a kid\'s art stop station so that the kids can color posters and learn about recycling.
\n\n\"I therefore proudly nominate Allison and Jillian Samowitz for Heart of Green. They might be young, but they are dedicated to this planet and are capable of greatness as protectors of this planet.\"
\n\nNominated by: Phyllis Samowitz, mom.
\n", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/X0/allison-and-jillian-samowitz-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/LH/allison-and-jillian-samowitz-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide9", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "judi-shils-teens-turning-green", title: "Judi Shils, executive director of Teens Turning Green", description: "2011 Local Hero Award: Nominee
\n\n\"Dictionaries should offer Judi Shils as the definition of Heart of Green. She works to integrate environmental sustainability into every aspect of life - individual choices from morning until night, personal care, school, food, cleaning, home, community initiatives; you name it and she can offer up a brilliant greener alternative. This woman places the health of people and the planet above all else.
\n\n\"As Executive Director of Teens Turning Green, Shils inspires youth to change the world. No one has coalesced a team as powerful, passionate, knowledgeable, and active as these young people collaborating with professionals and industry leaders. A fearless doer, Shils lives by the precautionary principle, opting for the safest and healthiest choices. Her unmatched drive and passion, combined with an unwavering belief in the goodness of humanity, possibility of change, and immense capability of individuals, specifically youth, forms the solid foundation from which her actions stem. No one is as steadfast in dedication to turning the world green as Shils.
\n\n\"A pioneer in the eco sphere, Shils\' optimism, strength, dexterity, and endless creativity enable her visions to become reality. She is a beacon of hope and enhances the lives of others through widespread education about eco-sustainable living, tying communal health to that of nature and encouraging environmental stewardship and conscious living. Investing in the development of future leaders, Shils activates the minds of hundreds and inspires young people to make this world a greener - the greenest, in fact - place in which coming generations can thrive.
\n\n\"How do I know? Because this woman with an ever-growing Heart of Green is my momma!\"
\n\nNominated by: Erin Schrode
\n", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/yL/judy-shils-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/21/judy-shils-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide10", slidetype: "video", slideurl: "robbie-lock-grownyc", title: "Robbie Lock, GrowNYC recycling education coordinator", description: "2011 Local Hero Award: Nominee
\n\nI am nominating my colleague Robbie Lock, GrowNYC’s Citywide School Recycling Education Coordinator, who lives and breathes recycling. Robbie heads up our Public Schools Recycling Champions Program, where he has been working to create a blueprint for NYC public schools to dramatically improve their recycling rates by establishing lasting recycling programs. His innovation and tireless energy has led to creative solutions to a complex problem, including:
\n\n- organizing events like Stop N Swaps at schools,
- making recycling videos for kids featuring kids,
- creating specialized education and training for custodians,
- hosting a design-a recycling bin contest,
- and launching a cafeteria recycling roll-out day.
Whether it’s designing a bag-count spreadsheet hung in custodial closets or helping students to do bag-counts, Robbie is tackling recycling from all angles. His work in NYC can inspire any school in the US interested in improving their recycling knowledge and practices. To make the program a success, every day he interacts with all members of the school community, including faculty, administration, students, custodians, and parents. He is working in 17 schools across the city, reaching in total 8,013 students and 643 classroom teachers this year, plus countless others in the form of peers, family and community members. In his off-hours, Robbie is a co-host of Brooklyn Green Drinks, a local chapter of a world-wide environmental meet-up.
\n\nNominated by: Amanda Gentile, GrowNYC
\n", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/Z9/robbie-lock-grownyc-recycling-coordinator-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/oB/robbie-lock-grownyc-recycling-coordinator-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide11", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "angie-rattay-neongreen-network", title: "Angie Rattay, founder of Neongreen Network", description: "2011 Local Hero Award: Nominee
\n\n\"I would like to nominate my girlfriend, Angie Rattay, also the head of our charity Neongreen Network as 2011 local hero.
\n\n\"Angie has put aside her own career to champion environmental causes. Having developed the project Planet Earth – Directions for Use and last years\' UNESCO decade of sustainable development winning project Planet Earth – Directions for Use for children (currently being tested in Austrian schools to be revised for a country-wide edition) – she also organizes the yearly EARTHtalks, a charity event to inspire and bring together a community of change-makers. Last year, on May 25, the third EARTHtalks - with over 500 visitors - took place in Vienna\'s city hall with inspiring speakers such as alternative nobel prize winner Dr. Vandana Shiva, Alex Steffen from Worldchaning in the U.S. and Alexander Likhotal, former adviser to and speaker for President Gorbachev. Angie\'s selfless dedication to her charity Neongreen Network and all these projects, disregarding her own career in the process, makes her a hero!
\n\nNominated by: Adam Pawloff, Neongreen Network
\n", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/tn/angie-rattay-neongreen-network-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/bo/angie-rattay-neongreen-network-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide12", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "jamie-pritscher-thats-caring", title: "Jamie Pritscher, founder of That\'s Caring", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"What do you say when you witness a good deed? That\'s caring. And that is exactly what she named her business: That\'s Caring. My nomination for the 2011 Heart of Green Local Hero Award is Jamie Pritscher, CEO and founder of That\'s Caring.
\n\n\"As a member of the business world, Jamie witnessed hundreds of business-to-business gifts, all of which had an indescribable amount of waste attached to them. Between the wrapping, the container and the shipping, she knew there had to be a greener way to give. In response, three years ago Jamie founded That\'s Caring, an eco-friendly gift basket company allowing gift-givers the ability to give in a greener, more sustainable way.
\n\n\"Her line of gift baskets includes over 100 green gift options. Many of the baskets contain products from local non-profits as well as organic, sustainably grown products, and all of the baskets are made from 100% natural fast growing and abundantly renewable plant fibers. The baskets are also 100% fair trade and shipped with carbon offsets. Because of these and several other reasons, Jamie creates each gift basket with two people in mind: the lucky recipient and Mother Earth.
\n\n\"Providing green giving opportunities isn\'t the only way Jamie gives back. For the past couple of years, she has organized over 100 volunteers for the Friends of the Park Earth Day clean up of a local forest preserve. She also spends time working with local non-profits in which she purchases products from.
\n\n\"Jamie\'s enthusiasm and energy make her an inspiration to the community, and I am proud to work alongside her.\"
\n\nNominated by: Molly Meyer, of nuphorIQ, which markets That\'s Caring.
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/5o/jamie-pritscher-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/7E/jamie-pritscher-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide13", slidetype: "video", slideurl: "beth-remmes-zola-goods", title: "Beth Remmes, founder of Zola Goods", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"I own a yoga studio in suburban Atlanta, and I have a student and friend who is such an inspiring individual that I would like to nominate her for your 2011 Hearts of Green Award. Beth Remmes is not only a civic leader in local green initiatives, but she has also founded a company called Zola Goods, a home party-company for greening up the home in simple doable ways. Through workshops and home parties, her Zola Coordinators teach people about the small, affordable changes they can make to help the environment, and they encourage attendees to find the good that they can do on a daily basis. Zola has over 40 Coordinators, all trained by Beth, who are having parties in other parts of the country. Zola is not an MLM – it is a grassroots approach to educating people and making it easy for them to make changes. She really does look at what her company does as service- not sales.
\n\n\"Beth has given wonderful workshops for my students at my yoga studio and I will be hosting her again this Earth Day. I should confess that I got away from offering bottled water to my students at Beth\'s urging. She supplied me with a great affordable water filtration system that I don\'t know how I ever functioned without.
\n \n\"Locally Beth is active as the conservation Chair of the Gwinnett Chapter of the Sierra Club, the chair of the Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful/Recycling Committee at Camp Creek Elementary School and the founder and chair of the EarthCare Ministry at Atlanta Unity Church. She works on recycling, saving energy, waste reduction, and honoring and celebrating the earth with ceremonies on the equinoxes and solstices.
\n\n\"She does everything with a spirit of joy... even down to her almost-daily walks, collecting trash and recyclables with her 10-year-old rescued golden retriever, Suzie Q. She is quite simply a wonderful, caring person that is loved by so many. Without ever preaching... she leads us by example.\"
\n\nNominated by: Marcia Scredon, owner of the Yoga Source Studio
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/AR/beth-remmes-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/pw/beth-remmes-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide14", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "julie-naylon-no-wire-hangers", title: "Julie Naylon, founder of No Wire Hangers", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"Julie Naylon, founder of No Wire Hangers, is a veritable Mary Poppins with a cloth bag full of eco-friendly hangers, compact fluorescent bulbs, and an inspired knowledge on how to save the planet. Whether she’s toting old bat mitzvah dresses to the Prom Closet for low-income women or dealing with an errant husband’s mountain of receipts, Julie shows us a newer, simpler and more sustainable way of life. Her eco sense is far-reaching and unparalleled -- repurposing materials and brilliantly using every nook and cranny in your home all the way to the secret car glove compartment. Her impactful blogging and popular lectures are all grounded on the downsizing of our carbon footprint, protecting our landfills and halting the tsunami of junk mail. Her emerald tiara is well deserved as she won “The Green Award for the most Eco-friendly Organizing Business” in L.A. in 2009. A humble and tireless worker, Julie visits local garbage dumps, volunteers at green expos and reveals a more harmonious ecology that inspires a quiet revolution in every home, school and business she visits. Her own lovely green dwelling boasts a transcendent chandelier completely constructed out of film slides. Her inspired mantra of “donate, sell, keep, fix, or recycle” engenders a unique pride and partnership with our shared planet. Disciples of Julie who stand in line with their eco-friendly shopping bag at the grocery store are a testament to her influence. A local hero and a singular visionary, Julie is lighting the way for a more verdant, connected and peaceful existence.\"
\n\nNominated by: Fielding Edlow, one of Naylon\'s clients
\n", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/YH/julie-naylon-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/Xc/julie-naylon-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide15", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "daniel-whittaker-green-planet-catering", title: "Daniel Whittaker, founder of Green Planet Catering", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"Daniel Whittaker has dedicated his personal and professional life to supporting a healthy environment. When he opened Green Planet Catering in Raleigh, N.C., in 2007, his vision was not only to provide a healthy catering alternative but also educate the business and special events community on the benefits of sustainable farming practices in a local economy.
\n\n\"While Daniel grows fresh herbs and produce in his own garden, he also works with local farmers who grow pesticide- and hormone-free products that supply the majority of the seasonal produce used at Green Planet Catering. He is also in discussions with a local university to put a program in place that allows students to learn organic growing practices. This is expected to be announced in early 2011 and will be the first of its kind.
\n\n\"To extend his vision, all of Green Planet Catering’s vehicles are powered by biodiesel fuel that is made from reclaimed fryer oil. At events, we serve with biodegradable serving products. After an event, these are carefully sorted by the Green Planet Catering team and commercially composted.
\n\n\"By educating clients, working with students and partnering with like-minded organizations, Daniel Whittaker has figured out a way to provide a valuable service to the local market while leading by example. Great food and healthy practices ensure his commitment to operating a business that not only benefits the community in which we operate, but the world in which we live.\"
\n\nNominated by: Rebecca Carraway, marketing and event coordinator for Green Planet Catering
\n", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/PG/daniel-whittaker-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/7g/daniel-whittaker-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide16", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "gordian-raacke-reli", title: "Gordian Raacke, founder of Renewable Energy Long Island", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"Gordian Raacke, who is my \'guru\' on clean energy issues and renewables. He is the \'Al Gore of Long Island\' and is looked to as an expert by people of all sectors on Long Island—nonprofits, solar installers, the media, and our utility company, LIPA. He is the most dedicated person I\'ve ever met in terms of bring about clean energy projects and truly walks his talk in almost every way possible. He is an inspiration to me and his resume speaks for itself. He has a lovely, calm disposition no matter what happens, and I\'ve worked with him on numerous projects, such as the offshore wind project, LI Climate Action Network, and Carbon Footprint project for LI. He truly has a \'Heart of Green.\'\"
\n\nNominated by: Beth Fiteni, a 2011 Local Hero nominee
\n\nMore about Gordian Raacke
\n\n- Founder and executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island, a member-supported non-profit organization promoting clean and sustainable energy use. \n
- Past executive director of the Citizens Advisory Panel, representing Long Island electric ratepayers. \n
- Advocate, advisor and volunteer at state and local levels for various energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, including the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority\'s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Advisory Group, the Long Island Carbon Footprint Project Steering Committee, and several Long Island town and county government committees and task forces. \n
- Founder of the Long Island Solar Roofs Initiative. \n
- Coordinator of public outreach and education for solar and wind energy efforts for LIPA\'s Efficiency Long Island Initiative. \n
- Helped establish WindWorks Long Island, a coalition of environmental groups which initiated and supports the concept of a Long Island Offshore Wind Park. \n
- Trained with Al Gore as a \"Climate Change Messenger\" In 2007. \n
- Created the LI GreenGuide, the first and only compendium of businesses offering green services and products on Long Island. \n
- Oversees t he Long Island chapter of the National Solar Tour and Green Buildings Open House. \n
- Founding board member of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. \n
2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"In 2006 parent and entrepreneur Carleen Cullen single-handedly founded the non-profit organization Cool The Earth after becoming concerned about climate change and the future of her children and future generations across the world.
\n \n\"Cullen was so determined to enlist her community to join her cause, that she set about holding free screenings of \'An Inconvenient Truth\' for parents in her school district, and then held discussion groups to discuss what they could do together to make a positive impact.
\n \n\"When she found that people remained lethargic about changing their energy habits, even after being exposed to the realities of global warming, she set about to develop an awareness program called \'Cool The Earth\' which she hoped would motivate households to make carbon-reducing changes instantly—what she calls, ‘education through action.’
\n\n\"The mission of Cool the Earth is to educate children and their families about climate change and motivate them to take simple, measurable actions that will reduce their carbon footprint.
\n\n\"After first launching the program at her children’s school in Northern California, despite initial opposition from school administrators, Carleen was able to galvanize local parents and leaders to expand the program to 25 schools in six months.
\n \n\"Four years later the community-based social networking program has reached over 155 schools and youth groups in California and across 10 states nationwide. It has inspired over 62,000 students to take over 130,000 actions to reduce their emissions. Carleen continues to donate her full time to help the organization expand.\"
\n\nNominated by: Jenny Jedeikin, director of communications for Cool the Earth.
\n", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/4E/carleen-cullen-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/Oo/carleen-cullen-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide18", slidetype: "video", slideurl: "karen-solomon-opportunity-green", title: "Karen Solomon, founder of Opportunity Green", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\nI met Karen five years ago when Opportunity Green was just an idea. She wanted to bring together green-minded individuals and form a green community here in Los Angeles. I was so excited about her pushing the green agenda to the forefront that I have volunteered at the conference every year for the last four years, most recently as stage manager. I met her as a volunteer and now, I know her as a friend.
\n\nNominated by: Callie Calimlim
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/9v/karen-solomon-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/cc/karen-solomon-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide19", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "mike-lieberman-urban-organic-gardener", title: "Mike Lieberman, Urban Organic Gardener blogger", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\nI am proud to submit my nomination for Mike Lieberman for this year’s Local Hero Awards. I came to know Mike via Twitter as part of my social media work for my job at Earth911. Known as @CanarsieBK, it was easy to recognize Mike’s incredible depth of knowledge and passion in sustainability through his tweets. While his physical community may have been Brooklyn, and most recently Los Angeles, I consider Mike’s true “locality” to be the worlds of social media and blogging.
\n \nMike believes in empowering and informing social change through example. For example, his blog, 365 Ways to Go Green documented his year of making small and interesting changes to his daily life. And while that blog has stopped, his Urban Organic Gardener blog continues with incredible honesty and openness about the process of discovering how to live sustainably in the confines of a city environment.
\n \nMost importantly, Mike’s genuine care, concern and proactive nature make his work more than just words, tweets or posts. He takes the real, human experience of this work and makes it tangible to everyday people. He told me, “That’s what I love about the times we live in – anyone has a voice. I don’t have a radio show. I’m not a trained journalist. But, I can reach people.”
\n \nI hope you’ll consider Mike and his leadership by example for this year’s awards.
\n\nNominated by: Jennifer Berry, public and strategic relations manager for Earth911.com
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/vo/mike-lieberman-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/6z/mike-lieberman-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide20", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "sara-damelio-skincando", title: "Sara Damelio, founder of Skincando", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"My name is Milinda Jefferson, a Coast Guard veteran whose brother, Green Beret SSG LeRoy Alexander was killed in Afghanistan during a Special Forces mission in June 3, 2005.
\n\n\"Originally when asked who my Green Super Hero would be I might normally say anyone wearing our military uniform. However, a year ago I met a real \'Wonder Woman\' with super \'green\' talents... my friend, Sara Damelio.
\n\n\"Sara is the owner of Skincando Combat Ready balm products. She loves to teach and mentor others about her green beauty business. She hires locally, recycles, and using high quality organic ingredients.
\n\n\"Since 2005, Sara has been taking green and giving back to new levels by creating a non-profit donation campaign called Operation Sand Flea.\nOperation Sand Flea is when Skincando sends hand crafted specialized care packages of Combat Ready Balm products to help clean, soothe dry skin, and sand flea bites to our military.
\n\n\"Through Sara Damelio\'s green efforts, she\'s won numerous military awards, sent over 5,000 care packages, and most recently was listed #1 in Oprah magazine for Top Philanthropic programs in the beauty industry.
\n\n\"Sara Damelio is not only making green beautiful, but she is definitely in the hearts of many who are defending our country. Your next 2011 Heart of Green Nominee, Sara Damelio is a true \"Green Patriot to save the world!\"
\n\nNominated by: Milinda Jefferson
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/6A/sara-damelio-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/fW/sara-damelio-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide21", slidetype: "video", slideurl: "dan-weisenbach-recycled-products", title: "Dan Weisenbach, founder of Weisenbach Recycled Products", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"I\'m nominating my Dad - and my Boss, Dan Weisenbach for the Heart of Green Award. He\'s an activist and an innovator whose commitment and passion for recycling is genuine, driving all aspects of his life. In other words - he\'s True Green.
\n\n\"Founder and President of Weisenbach Recycled Products, which manufactures and distributes amazing items made from would-be trash, he values his employees, respects the environment, and produces notable products that help others live the same.
\n\n\"He is a tireless volunteer and a respected presence in the community, serving on the board of Keep Ohio Beautiful and Green Columbus, and as an advisor to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Mayor\'s \'Green Team.\'
\n\n\"His work makes an impact in measurable ways. Each month, Weisenbach collects one ton of waste glass from area bars. It\'s sorted, crushed and made into beautiful awards used by organizations as a unique and earth-conscious way to recognize accomplishments.
\n\n\"My dad also won\'t accept that an item \'Can\'t be Recycled.\' Instead, he invents new ways to make it happen. His Caps Can Do program collects bottle caps made of plastic #5 that the majority of recyclers toss out. He grinds the caps for raw material to make his patented plastic spouts. This year he\'ll use around 30,000 pounds of caps. That\'s 4.8 million caps saved from landfills. In turn, the plastic spouts produced aid in pollution prevention efforts.
\n\n\"Showing others \'recycling is cool\' long before green was a trend, Dan Weisenbach\'s knowledge, determination, and selfless attitude inspire others to go green. His life\'s work makes our community, and our world, a better place. He makes it real, gives back, and pays forward, living life true to the motto \'Earth Day is Every Day\' with his Heart of Green.\"
\n\nNominated by: Jillian Weisenbach
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/I4/dan-weisenbach-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/DK/dan-weisenbach-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide22", slidetype: "video", slideurl: "lory-duralia-bosky-dell-natives", title: "Lory Duralia, owner of Bosky Dell Natives", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\n\"I would like to nominate Lory Duralia. For over 20 years, Lory has been committed to using her home, her business, Bosky Dell Natives, and her way of life as a tool to teach children, teachers, and stewards of the earth valuable information, enabling us all to participate in the preservation of our native flora and re-establish habitat for our precious wildlife. She is well known throughout the local community for her dedication to not only preserving and maintaining our natural resources and habitats, but also for her never ending desire to educate the world how everyone and anyone is capable of making a difference. As Lory would say, \'We must take care of the earth so that the earth can continue to take care of us!\'
\n\n\"As Lory\'s son, I have witnessed first hand all the amazing things she has done, and is capable of. She is completely selfless, and has done absolutely everything for all the right reasons. She has never been able to fully reap the financial rewards of all of her hard work, but for her, success is and always has been about educating others to not only love and preserve all the natural beauty and resources our planet has to offer, but also educating others in how simply one person can make a change. She truly is an amazing person, and has done so much throughout the Portland community, asking nothing in return for her incredible efforts. Her wonderful deeds are so often overlooked, she may not even know how much of a difference she actually makes in our community. What I know is that she has dedicated her life to being \'green,\' and most of all teaching the importance of being \'green\' to anyone willing to listen. She has never been one to ask for recognition, but as her son, I know she deserves it more than anyone else I can think of, and I am asking for TheDailyGreen to give her that recognition. Thank you for your consideration, I think this is a great contest, and I\'m sure my mother would be proud of all the amazing things you guys do!
\n\nNominated by: Lucas Duralia
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/gC/lory-duralia-smn.jpg", src: "" }, { id: "slide23", slidetype: "video", slideurl: "gina-murphy-darling-mrs-green", title: "Gina Murphy-Darling, host of Mrs. Green\'s World", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"Gina Murphy-Darling loves being Mrs. Green. She was born to inform and connect individuals and businesses in the movement toward global sustainability.
\n\n\"Mrs. Green is a messenger for Mother Earth and all her inhabitants, informing people how they can make changes every day that are good for them and good for the planet. Everyone from retired chemical engineers to design-school millennials appreciates her authentic communication.
\n\n\"Gina\'s passion for preserving the planet and morphing into Mrs. Green has been a slow, progressive awakening. After attending a conference for the Amazon Herb Company, Gina\'s awareness began to turn into a passion when she heard the company founder, John Easterling, talk about why the preservation of the rainforest should matter to everyone. Her commitment to educating “mainstream” people like herself about the confusing “green issue” motivated her to start her radio show, Mrs. Green Goes Mainstream in 2008.
\n\n\"Now Mrs. Green\'s World encompasses her radio show, website, blog, enewsletter, Facebook page and Tweets.\"
\n\nNominated by: Kelly King and the team at Mrs. Green\'s World
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/OG/gina-murphy-darling-smn.jpg", src: "" }, { id: "slide24", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "mlou-arnett-puristics", title: "M\'lou Arnett, founder of Puristics", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"I would like to nominate M\'lou Arnett for The Daily Green\'s Heart of Green Local Hero Award 2011. M\'lou is the co-founder and COO of Scerene Healthcare, Inc., a new company dedicated to developing pure, effective solutions for a broad range of consumers\' personal care needs.
\n\n\"After a career spent working in the healthcare industry developing products to treat existing ailments and conditions, M\'lou became increasingly focused on the importance of preventing illness through small, sustainable lifestyle changes. Professionally, she saw an opportunity to apply her growing passion to solutions that could help others as well. She shifted her focus to personal care products that could help people by providing products that are free from potentially harmful chemicals yet are as effective as leading products. Preventive maintenance and “reducing morbidity” (phrase borrowed from Dr. Andrew Weil) have become defining terms for her business and her life.
\n\n\"With all of this in mind, M\'lou connected with some industry colleagues and together they developed a line of naturally-derived personal care products for everyday life that are as safe to use as they are effective—Puristics was born.
\n\n\"Better yet, this unique business proposition allows M\'lou to talk to a broader audience about the importance of making small, sustainable changes in life. Through twitter, her blog, Pure Talk, and YouTube channel, M\'lou is able to provide helpful insight about sustainability even beyond the world of personal care products.\"
\n\nNominated by: Joanne Cotignola, marketing consultant at Scerene Healthcare, Inc.
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/xE/mlou-arnett-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/4y/mlou-arnett-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide25", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "lynn-brown-waste-management", title: "Lynn Brown, VP of Communications for Waste Management", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"There\'s one thing you have to know about Lynn Brown: She’s a fighter.
\n\n\"When Lynn joined Waste Management in 2005, the word \'green\' was used in reference to the color of the company\'s trucks. But Lynn and her team wanted something more, and they worked together to convince a major garbage company to think in terms of \'zero waste.\'
\n\n\"Six years later, Waste Management is a completely different company as a leader of waste-to-energy technologies and recycling. Manning the helm is Lynn herself.
\n\n\"Lynn applied that same fighter attitude when she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer – she downed a shot of optimism with her chemo cocktail and told her oncologist to \'bring it on.\' Over the next year, Lynn will receive chemotherapy every Friday, and she plans to continue her work with Waste Management during treatment. At the end of her treatment, Lynn is expected to make a full recovery. She\'s already planning a mentor program for other Waste Management employees fighting breast cancer.
\n\n\"\'Everyone knows someone who has been affected,\' she said. \'That’s why cancer sucks. It\'s no longer an epidemic, it’s a pandemic.\'\"
\n\n\"Today, Lynn is dealing with some of the darker parts of the disease with her own sense of humor. At the time of this interview Lynn was still getting used to her new wig and post-op figure.
\n\n\"\'I stand in the mirror and look at my fat, scarred body and bald head and just laugh,\' she sad. \'Because if you don\'t laugh, then what will you do?\'\"
\n\nNominated by: Amanda Wills, managing editor of Earth911.com
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/h9/lynn-brown-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/2I/lynn-brown-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide26", slidetype: "image", slideurl: "michael-barton-forester", title: "Michael Barton, forester and wind power educator", description: "2011 Local Hero: Nominee
\n\n\"Michael Barton is a forester for many landowners along the Allegheny Ridge in rural Pennsylvania. When he heard that Gamesa Energy wanted to build a wind farm he was appalled, concerned about impact of erosion on high-value streams. Gamesa addressed all of his concerns. In the years since the farm began operation, Michael has given over 200 free wind farm tours. He explains the positives and negatives of wind farms for the environment and discusses the economic impact they\'ve had on landowners. Because he is so even-handed he is extremely credible. He has dealt with vociferous hostility from local anti-wind groups with aplomb.
\n\n\"I work for the Renewable Energy Center at Saint Francis University. Nothing overcomes people\'s concerns like being able to see and hear a wind turbine up close.
\n\n\"Michael is always willing to take K-12 or university students or any community group on a tour, sometimes with very little notice.
\n\n\"In addition to the tours, Michael gives presentations at public meetings and conferences. He educates both the public and the industry on best practices for wind farm development.
\n\n\"A tour from Michael teaches
\n- the environmental impact of roads and how to minimize them\n
- the amount of land a turbine really needs after installation\n
- the real rather than the exaggerated environmental consequences of wind turbines, in the context of the environmental consequences of the alternatives\n
- the impact on the forest, both plants and animals, of our country\'s current coal-rich mix\n
- the economic benefit the wind farms have brought to our area\n
- a realistic sense of the sound produced by a turbine and how that sound declines with distance
\"Michael knows more about wind power than anyone else I\'ve met.\"
\n\nNominated by: Gwendolyn S. Andersen, director of the \nRenewable Energy Center at Saint Francis University
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/RE/michael-barton-group-smn.jpg", src: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/AV/michael-barton-group-mdn.jpg" }, { id: "slide27", slidetype: "video", slideurl: "fred-schaeffer-walkway-over-hudson", title: "Fred Schaeffer, chairman of Walkway Over the Hudson", description: "2010 Local Hero Award: Winner
\n\nThe 2010 Local Hero is Fred Schaeffer, who led the effort to turn an abandoned railroad bridge towering over the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., into the world\'s longest pedestrian bridge. Now a state park, Walkway Over the Hudson has proved to be a huge success, as a recycling project on a massive scale, as a tourist destination for a struggling city and proof that creating parks can stimulate the economy. Read more about Fred Schaeffer and Walkway Over the Hudson.
\n\n2010 Nominees: The nominations for the 2010 Local Hero award included many worthy candidates. We celebrated more than two dozen nominees in this feature: 26 Real People Making a Real Difference.
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/rl/Fred-Schaeffer-on-Walkway-smn.jpg", src: "" }, { id: "slide28", slidetype: "video", slideurl: "greg-perry-2009-local-hero", title: "Greg Perry, creator of The Green Dream", description: "2009 Local Hero Award: Winner
\n\nThe 2009 Heart of Green Local Hero is Greg Perry, an Ohio school teacher who surmounted great obstacles to guide his class in the creation of \"The Green Dream,\" the state\'s largest green products expo. The extraordinary class project has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to create the Ultimate Green Classroom, a model classroom completely refurbished with sustainable, nontoxic materials, powered by the sun and open to the school and to the community. And he did it all while battling cancer. Adamant that the Green Dream live on, he taught his class by Skype and made a courageous appearance at The Daily Green\'s Heart of Green Awards that brought the audience to tears. (He\'s doing great by the way, and is back leading his class.) Read more about Greg Perry and the Green Dream.
\n\n2009 Nominees: The nominations for the 2009 Local Hero award included many worthy candidates. We celebrated dozens of nominees in this feature: 40 Real People Making a Real Difference.
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/aj/greg-perry-2010-smn.jpg", src: "" }, { id: "slide29", slidetype: "video", slideurl: "nominate-local-hero", title: "How to Nominate Your Local Hero", description: "THE NOMINATION PERIOD ENDED FEB. 14
\n\nChoose who you want to nominate for helping to green your community.
\n\nCreate a video of you, your nominee or both of you, explaining why your nominee deserves to be recognized. Share the video on our Facebook page.
\n\nAlternately, write a succinct (250 words) nomination, explaining why your nominee deserves to be recognized. Expect your nomination to be published under your name. Attach a quality photo of the nominee that The Daily Green has permission to publish.\n\n
Send the video link or the text and photo to TDG senior editor Dan Shapley (dshapley@hearst.com). Write \"Heart of Green nomination\" and the nominee\'s name in the subject line.\n\n
Include e-mail and telephone contact information so we can reach both you and your nominee.\n\n
State how you know or are affiliated with the nominee. Disclose any and all business interests. We prefer nominations submitted by those who work with, or are affected by, the nominee to those submitted by public relations professionals.\n\n
If you are nominating someone who has been previously nominated, you must submit a new nomination that adheres to the 2011 guidelines.\n\n
Send nominations by Monday, Feb. 14, 2011.\n\n
Nominations may be published at the sole discretion of The Daily Green, and must adhere to our Community Guidelines and Terms of Use. By submitting a nomination, you are agreeing to those terms.
\n\nThe Daily Green\'s editors will select a winner. The Daily Green\'s audience will also select one \"People\'s Choice\" winner during online voting scheduled to begin Feb. 21. (The same person may win both.)
", sourceid: null, sourcename: "", sourceurl: null, sourcelogo: "", thumbsrc: "/cm/thedailygreen/images/Fz/HOG-2011-nominate-smn.jpg", src: "" } ] };
About the Local Hero Award
The Heart of Green Awards honor individuals, companies and organizations that have helped green go mainstream. In 2009 and 2010, The Daily Green celebrated its Heart of Green winners with an exclusive party; in 2011, we're taking the awards to the people. You will vote on your favorite winners, and we'll announce the results online. We're also broadening the categories to include a richer variety of people, places and things deserving of attention. The type of person deserving of our Local Hero award has not changed:
Who in your community deserves to be recognized? Is it the organizer of a local farmers' market ... or the local farmer herself? Maybe it's the shopkeeper who refuses to sell suspect plastics ... or the construction worker who donated his time to weatherize neighborhood homes. Is it the mayor who installed solar power panels on the town hall ... or the watchdog who held the mayor accountable for a bad decision? Maybe it's the person who organized a local rally, or rallied locals to go help clean up the Gulf after the oil spill.
Tell us, and the rest of The Daily Green audience, why your nominee deserves to be recognized with a Heart of Green Award. We'll recognize many of the nominees by publishing your accounts of their good deeds on The Daily Green. (Nomination guidelines are on the next page in this feature.)
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