Annie Leonard
Encyclopedia
Annie Leonard is an American
proponent of sustainability
and critic of excessive consumerism
. She is most known for her controversial animated film The Story of Stuff
about the life-cycle of material goods.
, and has an undergraduate degree from Barnard College
and a graduate degree from Cornell University
in city and regional planning. She has a daughter named Dewi, born in 1999. As of November 2009, she lived in the Bay Area
with her daughter.
Leonard is best known as the creator and narrator of the animated documentary about the life-cycle of material goods, The Story of Stuff
(2007). The documentary began as an hour-long talk and was made into a condensed film version based on popular demand. She also published a book version of the film, released on March 9, 2010 by Free Press of Simon & Schuster
. The UK edition of the book was published by Constable & Robinson
on May 27, 2010. The German edition was published on March 12 by Econ Verlag.
After The Story of Stuff, she created The Story of Cap and Trade in 2009, which is on the topic of emissions trading
, as well as, in 2010, The Story of Bottled Water, The Story of Cosmetics and The Story of Electronics. In March 1, 2011, Leonard released "The Story of Citizens United v. FEC".
In addition to her work on the Story of Stuff documentary, Leonard is also co-creator and coordinator of GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives) and serves on the boards of International Forum on Globalization (IFG)http://www.ifg.org/ and the Environmental Health Fund http://environmentalhealthfund.org. She previously held positions with Health Care Without Harm, Essential Information
and Greenpeace International, and was coordinator of the Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption. In 1992 she testified in front of the US Congress on the topic of international waste trafficking.
as their "Communication Coordinator", has critiqued several of Leonard's videos with videos of his own in which Doren superimposes comments, focusing mostly on his issues with sources and term usage and with graphics superimposed over Leonard's original videos. CNN and Fox News have subsequently reported on Doren's criticism.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
proponent of sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
and critic of excessive consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
. She is most known for her controversial animated film The Story of Stuff
The Story of Stuff
The Story of Stuff is a short polemical animated documentary about the lifecycle of material goods. The documentary is critical of excessive consumerism and promotes sustainability....
about the life-cycle of material goods.
Biography
Annie Leonard was born in Seattle, Washington, where she also grew up. She graduated from the Lakeside SchoolLakeside School
Lakeside School is a private/independent school located in the Haller Lake neighborhood at the north city limits of Seattle, Washington, USA, for grades 5–12....
, and has an undergraduate degree from Barnard College
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
and a graduate degree from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in city and regional planning. She has a daughter named Dewi, born in 1999. As of November 2009, she lived in the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
with her daughter.
Leonard is best known as the creator and narrator of the animated documentary about the life-cycle of material goods, The Story of Stuff
The Story of Stuff
The Story of Stuff is a short polemical animated documentary about the lifecycle of material goods. The documentary is critical of excessive consumerism and promotes sustainability....
(2007). The documentary began as an hour-long talk and was made into a condensed film version based on popular demand. She also published a book version of the film, released on March 9, 2010 by Free Press of Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
. The UK edition of the book was published by Constable & Robinson
Constable & Robinson
Constable & Robinson Ltd. is an independent British book publisher of fiction and non-fiction works. Founded in Edinburgh in 1795 by Archibald Constable as Constable & Co. it is probably the oldest independent publisher in the English-speaking world still operating under the name of its...
on May 27, 2010. The German edition was published on March 12 by Econ Verlag.
After The Story of Stuff, she created The Story of Cap and Trade in 2009, which is on the topic of emissions trading
Emissions trading
Emissions trading is a market-based approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants....
, as well as, in 2010, The Story of Bottled Water, The Story of Cosmetics and The Story of Electronics. In March 1, 2011, Leonard released "The Story of Citizens United v. FEC".
In addition to her work on the Story of Stuff documentary, Leonard is also co-creator and coordinator of GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives) and serves on the boards of International Forum on Globalization (IFG)http://www.ifg.org/ and the Environmental Health Fund http://environmentalhealthfund.org. She previously held positions with Health Care Without Harm, Essential Information
Essential Information
Founded in 1982 by Ralph Nader, Essential Information is a non-profit organization involved in a variety of projects to encourage citizens to become active and engaged in their communities...
and Greenpeace International, and was coordinator of the Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption. In 1992 she testified in front of the US Congress on the topic of international waste trafficking.
Criticism
Lee Doren, a lawyer formerly employed by the libertarian think tank Competitive Enterprise InstituteCompetitive Enterprise Institute
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is a non-profit think tank founded on March 9, 1984 in Washington, D.C. by lobbyist Fred L. Smith, Jr to advance economic liberty and fight over-regulation by big government...
as their "Communication Coordinator", has critiqued several of Leonard's videos with videos of his own in which Doren superimposes comments, focusing mostly on his issues with sources and term usage and with graphics superimposed over Leonard's original videos. CNN and Fox News have subsequently reported on Doren's criticism.