Most Inspiring of the Month

Environmental Activists

Caring about the environment is important for all of us, but some people go the extra mile when it comes to going green. This month, Beliefnet salutes 10 activists who make it their life’s mission to care for the planet and all its inhabitants. From wildlife enthusiasts to adventurous television hosts, these environmentalists are inspiring others to cherish the world we live in through awareness and preservation. Meet April’s Most Inspiring People of the Month: Environmental Activists.

Every month we’ll be highlighting inspiring people from all walks of life who are doing their part to make the world a better place. Follow our campaign each month to find out who will be awarded our Most Inspiring Person of 2011.

Jane Goodall

Judi Bari fought against logging in the ancient redwood forests in northern California. She made headlines when a motion-triggered bomb exploded under her driver's seat in Oakland in the midst of orchestrating the Redwood Summer logging protests in 1990 that left her permanently injured. She continued, however, to lead non-violent protests and worked tirelessly to bridge timber workers and environmentalists despite death threats and pressure from the lumber industry. Politician and activist Tom Hayden said after Bari lost her battle with breast cancer in 1997: "She [Bari] was instrumental in bringing the plight of the ancient redwood forests to national attention. We will sorely miss the energy she provided, particularly in the negotiating fog that envelopes the Headwaters forest today, but she has left a legacy of dedicated activists who will carry her banner flying high.”

Ed Begley, Jr.

Although it might be difficult to place the name, Ed Begley, Jr. has a face that is instantly recognizable. A veteran television and film actor, he’s played hundreds of different Hollywood parts. The role he’s most known for, however, isn’t fictional: it’s himself. Since 2007 Ed and his wife and have starred in Living With Ed, a reality program about his uncompromising quest to live life with the smallest carbon footprint. His 1,585 sq. ft. home is both solar and wind powered , his lawn is a drought-tolerant garden, and he toasts his bread with an electricity-generating bicycle. His book, Ed Begley, Jr.’s Guide to Sustainable Living, is filled with useful tips and solutions for managing your life in a way that makes both environmental and financial sense.

Bear Grylls

Television host. Outdoor enthusiast. Mountaineer. Author. There isn’t much that Bear Gryllis hasn’t conquered. At 23, he was named the youngest British man to climb and descend Mt. Everest by The Guinness Book of Records. He’s most widely known for his show Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel, in which Gryllis stars as the new face of nature survivalists. What some may not know is that Gryllis is also a charitable champion as well. Many of his death-defying feats raised money for various environmental and human interest organizations. Among the charities that he supports, he is an ambassador for RARE, an organization that raises awareness for the preservation of the world’s most remote habitats, endangered species and indigenous people.

Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai was born in Nyeri, Kenya in 1940 and went on to become the first women in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree. She founded the Green Belt Movement during the 70s that focused on environmental conservation and planting trees. According to her website, The Green Belt Movement has planted over 45 million trees in Kenya since 1977 with the usage of their 10-step, tree-planting program. In 2004, Maathai became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her work towards sustainable development. An author and former parliamentarian, she also works to raise awareness on women's rights, civic empowerment, and the environment throughout Kenya and Africa.

Leonardo DiCaprio

This ever-popular celebrity has more to show off than his good looks and acting ability. For more than a decade, Leonardo DiCaprio has pushed the agenda of several environmental causes. He created the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation which helped produce short films such as Global Warming (2003), Water Planet (2005) and 11^th Hour (2007). All three films have captured the eye of environmentally-conscious audiences. In these short films Leonardo narrates and offers ideas to the audience on what they can do to decrease global warming and help conserve water. Most recently, he donated $1 million to help aid encourage sustainable development in the process of rebuilding Haiti after a devastating earthquake and traveled to Russia to attend the five-day “Tiger Summit” – an event in which he spoke to Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on the conservation of Asia’s vanishing tigers.

Judy Bonds

Julia or “Judy” Bonds was a pioneer in leading the struggle against mountaintop removal – a practice all too familiar in the Appalachian Mountain area. As this grandmother became more aware of the dangers that mountaintop removal brought to her neighbors and family, such as poisoned water and dying fish, she fought against the practice. This fight did not come without a web of obstacles though. She soon partnered with a non-profit called Coal River Mountain Watch but was in turn shunned by some of her neighbors. At one point she even received threatening phone calls. This did not stop her advocate work though and through it all she eventually won the 2003 Goldman Environmental Prize. Sadly Judy Bonds passed away from cancer this past January. Although she died at the young age of 58, her inspiration to others and passion for the Appalachian Mountains will live on.

Paul Watson

Paul Watson can be a controversial and divisive figure but he's certainly made a difference. He's among the most aggressive anti-whaling activists in the world. He's been the subject of numerous documentary films and more recently the star of the hit show "Whale Wars" on Animal Planet. For the first time ever Japan called off their seasonal whaling hunt in February of 2011. They directly credited the efforts by Paul and his crew. It's a passionate issue for many who have witnessed the brutal tactics used by whaling ships. This practice continues despite an international moratorium on whaling that went into effect 25 years ago. Paul Watson doesn't consider himself an activist at all, just a man trying to enforce the law while others exploit loopholes and go unchecked. His methods may be questionable at times but his results speak for themselves.

Ric O'Barry

Few have done more for the safety and preservation of marine wildlife than Ric O’Barry. Ten years of capturing and training dolphins in the ‘60s for entertainment venues led him to discover the inhumane treatment that these mammals endured outside of their natural habitat. For the next nearly 40 years, O’Barry has fought against dolphin captivity. He dedicated his life to saving dolphins through the Dolphin Project, which he formed in 1970. His life’s work was chronicled in the Oscar-winning documentary, The Cove. He is currently the director of the Save Japan Dolphins campaign that is working to end dolphin killings in Japan. O’Barry continues to tirelessly work to raise awareness of dolphins around the world and keeping them safe for the next generation.

Judi Bari

David Suzuki

An award-winning environmentalist, scientist and broadcaster, David Suzuki was born in Canada in 1936. His love and appreciation of science and the environment was said to begun when he and his family suffered internment in British Columbia during WWII. While unjust, the camp was in beautiful territory in which Suzuki spent his days exploring. He went on to receive his PhD zoology in 1961 at the University of Chicago and throughout his career created some of the most popular television programs relating to nature, the environment and people. He is best known as host of the popular and long-running science magazine, The Nature of Things, seen in syndication in over forty nations. A long time activist to reverse global climate change, Suzuki co-founded the David Suzuki Foundation in 1990, to work "to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us."