Trailblazing
a More Sustainable Future
local green pioneers are first
in the way to proactive change
by linda Sechrist
T
he word pioneer often brings to it is not sustainable when the amount
First to Focus on Climate Change
mind a historical image of rugged of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas in
individuals traveling westward in the atmosphere, exceeds 350 parts per
and Carbon Management
wagons, intent upon exploring a new million. The current ratio is 387.
Cloe Waterfield, with TwentyFifty,
life. Today’s pioneers, though reliant Rhodes assumed the role of citizen
is the first sustainability and environ-
upon the Information Highway, rather activist in 2007, when she joined
mental consultant to focus on climate
than dusty oxen trails, are still the first MoveOn.org and opened the doors of
change and carbon management in
to forge a path through uncharted ter- her tiny apartment to host a screen-
Southwest Florida. Her calculations of
ritory. ing of An Inconvenient Truth and an
carbon footprints and greenhouse gas
The road taken by these visionary online conference with former Vice
inventories are helpful to individuals
trailblazers, who dream things that nev- President Al Gore. Then, she aligned
and organizations, from foundations
er were and ask why not, isn’t without her efforts with that of McKibben’s Step
and small businesses owners to mu-
its bumps and setbacks. But, motivated It Up group and helped organize a rally
nicipal governments such as the city of
by belief in the ideals they serve, the of 500 people who wanted to send
Naples, who seek to improve energy
individuals who rally others to work for Congress a message to cut carbon emis-
efficiency and save money. She has
a cause are optimists; they see opportu- sions by 80 percent by 2050. Next, she
consulted for the Pelican Bay Founda-
nity in every difficulty. Here in Collier rounded up enough green businesses in
tion, the Conservancy of Southwest
and Lee counties, Natural Awakenings the area to present Collier County’s first
Florida and Collier County, as well as
met with seven “green” pioneers who Green Expo.
the city of Sarasota, Florida.
passionately strive to fast-forward a Rhodes says her activism was
While Waterfield is sometimes
sustainability agenda. initially inspired by Tom Hartmann’s
disappointed by Southwest Florida’s
book, The Last Hours of Ancient Sun-
lack of agreement on climate change,
First to Focus on Climate Action
light, which details the damage being
she notes that proactive community
leaders who take action to make their
Dianne Rhodes is an “ancestor in
done to Earth’s biosphere, the reasons
communities more sustainable can put
training,” whose sights are set upon
why our culture would inevitably do
the wind back in her sails. “As one of
shifting the paradigm from the status
such damage, and how we can fix the
six billion consumers on the planet, I
quo to a green and sustainable future
problem before it’s too late. “It would
felt I needed to do something to help
for generations to come. After joining
really uplift my spirit if I knew people
build awareness of the need to bet-
environmental author Bill McKibben’s
were reading books like Fixing Climate,
350.org, a campaign promoting an
by Wallace S. Broecker and Heat, by
ter conserve and care for our natural
International Day of Climate Action on
George Monbiot, to educate themselves
resources,” says Waterfield. Her en-
October 24, Rhodes and her committee
on climate change,” says Rhodes, who
thusiasm was recently renewed by the
members planned a week of events that
gets a boost from seeing others helping
Pelican Bay Foundation’s consideration
begin with “Naples Leading the Way to
to preserve the Earth and its resources.
of a solar-powered, hybrid tram system
Sustainability,” at Fleischmann Park.
“There is a pressing need to bring
attention to the most important number
“It would really uplift my spirit if I knew people were reading
on the planet,” Rhodes says, explain-
books like Fixing Climate, by Wallace S. Broecker and Heat,
ing why she and thousands of others
around the world are planning actions
by George Monbiot, to educate themselves on climate change,”
to showcase the 350 research by James
says Dianne Rhodes, who gets a boost from seeing others
Hansen, a NASA scientist, which dem-
onstrates that life on Earth as we know
helping to preserve the Earth and its resources.
 Collier / Lee Counties
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