Following Wangari Maathai’s presentation at the Women’s Funding Network Conference on Saturday, I couldn’t help but love this article in today’s Washington Post about yet another woman trailblazing the way to social change on behalf of the environment.
Rebecca Hosking, a resident of Modbury, England, was disturbed and saddened to see thousands of dead birds on the coast in Midway while there as part of her gig as a BBC wildlife film producer. The birds were dead because they’d consumed tons of plastic bags, cigarette butts and other trash left by us humans.
When she returned to her hometown in England, she convened her local business owners, explained the situation, researched and alternative, and proposed a ban on plastic bags.
They bit, and the ban took effect with businesses using more expensive, bio-degradeable bags made from cornstarch. Now, they’re all the rage, and even better, folks are using less of those and more reusable cloth bags.
A year later, the town is going to do a beach clean-up day, and whatever they find the most of in terms of trash, they’re going to do their next batch of problem-solving around that.
An awesome story of the power of a woman to create sustainable, social change in her community on behalf of the environment around her. I imagine that she’s thinking something similar to what Dr. Maathai said, when she explained that she didn’t mean to start a movement, she just wanted to plant trees.
So often this is how women lead–quietly, smartly and effectively. Here’s to Rebecca and to the many other women quietly working away to lead innovative change that makes our communities stronger for everyone.
