BehindTheMic
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.: Environmental Sustainability
How have you committed your life to protecting the environment?
I was deeply involved with the outdoors from when I was a little boy. I spent every spare moment of my time in the woods and creeks and rivers and salt water scuba diving, fishing, swimming, sailing.
Later on in my life, I began working for a group of commercial and recreational fishermen on the Hudson River bringing lawsuits against polluters who were destroying their livelihood and their recreation. We built a group called Riverkeeper that cleaned up the Hudson. It’s now the richest water body in the North Atlantic. It produces more pounds of fish per acre than any other water body in the North Atlantic and its miraculous resurrection inspired the creation of almost 180 Riverkeepers around the country. It’s now the fastest growing water protection group on Earth. It’s also interesting because it was started by small businesspeople who understood that good environmental policy is good economic policy. These were people who were trying to build communities and provide their children the same opportunities for dignity, enrichment, and good health as our parents gave to us.
Why do you think that sustainability and “going green” have become such hot button issues?
I think there’s a broad recognition in the business community that pollution is holding back our economy. Our dependence on carbon, borrowing a billion dollars a day to import foreign oil, and spending trillions of dollars on a war in Iraq is breaking our economy. Carbon, whether it’s coal or oil, is a huge drag on the economy.
The abolishment of the slave trade in England didn’t collapse the economy as predicted; it exposed the inefficiencies of free human labor. Its abolishment released the energies of thousands of innovators who searched for new sources of energy and launched the Industrial Revolution - the biggest epic of wealth creation in the history of mankind.
The same thing can happen today. In freeing ourselves from carbon, we will strip $300 billion annually from our trade deficit, $500 billion from our budget deficit. We will restore our national prestige and influence. We will improve our air and water supplies. We will create millions of jobs. We’ll create an export industry that today is the biggest industry in the global sector, which is clean technology. Energy efficiency is going to be good for our economy. It’s going to restore greatness to our nation.
What is the most pressing environmental issue we need to address?
I think the way that we use energy must be changed. For example, Iceland in 1970 was the poorest country in Europe and 100% dependent on foreign coal and oil. Today, it is 100% energy independent. 89% of its electricity comes from geothermal power. And it’s the fourth richest country in the world and the largest producer of energy per capita in the world.
Like in Iceland, the way we produce and use energy can change our entire economy, and our country needs to make these changes sooner rather than later.
When you speak to an audience, what is the effect you hope to have on each individual?
I hope that individuals will understand how important changing our energy usage and preserving the environment really is for us and future generations. I hope that people will come away with a sense of hope and optimism about our country and our prospects for the future.
Edward James Olmos: Promoting Multiculturalism
What is the message that you give to audiences?
It’s really an understanding of the events of culture through the usage of art. I speak very clearly on the issues of race, that there is only one race, and that’s the human race. There’s no such thing as the Latino race or the African race or European race or indigenous race. They are cultures, beautiful cultures.
Why do you think your message is still so important to share?
I think that it’s really important to share due to the fact that our culture, the American culture, is so diverse, and yet our educational systems don’t prepare us properly. We are a multicultural society and yet we are predominantly teaching a very European-based history in all levels of education in this country.
What do you think that we can do to promote more understanding and multiculturalism in schools and in what people know about the United States?
The best thing we can do is just to embrace the beauty of what makes our country so strong. It’s the only country where religions can interrelate, where cultures can interrelate (and do); we have a very strong democratic way, so that’s really what our biggest strengths are. And that’s what we should be learning more about.
How has the success of your career helped you voice your message?
Not only has my career been based on the issues that I’m talking about, but since I happen to be of Latin descent, it really does help for me to speak to people. Many times I arrive in areas where they’ve never had an abundance of cultural awareness brought by their speakers, and so I embody different cultures.
What do you like the most about speaking to audiences?
I love the relationship that one feels with the audience and how we do have a tremendous amount to be thankful for. It’s really an incredible journey that we take full of laughter, thought-provoking situations, and some very emotional and very dramatic things that we discover as we go forward. I love talking in this kind of forum because it really is a very powerful medium and a strong way to communicate.
What do you learn from your audience and vice-versa?
We learn quite a bit about each other. When I get into communities, I have questions of them as much as they have questions of me. So there’s a lot of action. We do that in a very strong way, and it becomes really exciting. And young and old participate. When I leave I usually have a tremendous amount of energy coming towards me, and the audience has a tremendous amount to think about.
What do you still hope to and want to accomplish?
I would love to see a sense of understanding of the fact that we are not different races. That we are just one race. I just with that the entire planet would come to terms with this and stop looking at ourselves as different races. There are tremendous amounts of different cultures and different ways of understanding. If I could feel that by the the time I pass on we have understanding, I would feel very much that something has been accomplished in my lifetime.
Black Hawk Down’s Matt Eversmann: A Soldier’s Story
How does it feel to retire from the Army after your extensive service?
The thought of retiring from the Army after 20 years of service is very surreal. But, after the past 15 months in Iraq, I am beyond excited at the prospect of civilian life. I look forward to spending as much time as possible with my family.
What can Americans learn from our servicemen and women, and the military as a whole?I do think that we can all learn some valuable lessons. If you look at the military as a profession, you will see that is clearly personifies all that is great with America. Service to others, to friends, to communities, to the nation, is so important. In order to be successful at our combat tasks, the order of precedence must always be the mission first, the good of the unit, and lastly, the individual. An organization where teams succeed because of individual dedication is incredibly inspiring.
How do you plan on spending your retirement? Will you be writing anymore books on your experiences?
My wife Tori and I have many grand plans for life after the Army. We are excited at the opportunity to start our own business in 2008. We have been developing a business plan for a placement firm to help senior enlisted soldiers find great job opportunities after their service is complete, and we will continue to support the wounded warriors at Walter Reed.
As for writing, I’ve always wanted to write a book about leadership and followership, especially for young men and women. I am currently penning a pocket book of leadership.
If you there is a single philosophy that you have learned from the military, what would it be and why is it important to you?
The single greatest philosophy I will take is that the great leaders are only 30% of the solution. We must have outstanding followers who like and believe in what they are doing, and that only happens if we invest in our subordinates. I can trace every single one of my succcesses to a leader who invested something in me. My failures are mine alone, but my achievements are due to others who took the time to coach and mentor me.
What do you hope your experiences will teach your audiences, and what lessons do you think the military can give to individuals and businesses?
Life in the Army continually forces me to refine my problem-solving techniques while concurrently evaluating my people skills. This has become muscle memory. That may be the single most beneficial lesson that I can give; developing people for the greater good. That’s what we have done and that’s what I hope to continue to do (after a long vacation, of course).
Jeannette Walls: Building “The Glass Castle”
What inspired you to write a book about your childhood?
Seeing my mother rooting in the garbage, asking her what on earth I was supposed to tell people about her, and her telling me simply and elegantly: Just tell the truth.
What was the most challenging part of writing this book?Confronting a past that I tried very hard to run away from.
What was your reaction to the book’s critical acclaim and its best-selling staying power?
I’m flabbergasted, amazed, amused, and grateful. Here I thought that my past was embarassing - and it turned out to be the ace up my sleeve.
How do you share your story to make it compelling to diverse audiences?
One of the many things that I’ve learned from speaking to audiences is how much we’re all alike. We may face different challenges and we deal with those challenges differently. But, I believe that once you get past the differences, we all have the same fears and the same desires, so if you speak honestly and openly, you connect with all people. A friend of mine once told me a verse from the Talmud that I think sums it up well: When the heart speaks, the heart listens.
How do you plan to follow up The Glass Castle? Are you interested in writing more non-fiction?
Yes, I’m at work on another non-fiction book. I’m no good at fiction. In my opinion, the truth is not only stranger than fiction, it’s more compelling.
As you continue to share your story, what do you hope people will learn from it, and how would you like your speaking to make a difference?
So many people have said to me, “Oh, you’re so strong, I couldn’t have possibly survived what you did.” I tell them, “Of course you could! You’re much stronger than you realize. You just haven’t been tested. You just weren’t lucky enough to have a really weird childhood.”
How has speaking to audiences changed your life?
I used to operate under the assumption that to win, you had to get ahead of other people. I now realize how wrong I was. It’s not a competition. We win by helping others. What’s more, I was completely unprepared for how open-minded, wise, and kind people are. It has changed my world from a place filled with potential enemies to a place filled with potential friends. And I’ve come to understand that we all have demons from our past - the trick is not to run from them, but to put a harness on them and put them to work for you.
