celebrate WED > WED Heroes

Pull Together

In 2009, Roz Savage rowed across the Pacific Ocean by herself and later walked 600 miles from London to Copenhagen for the UN climate conference. Her mission was called Pull Together – she aimed to inspire people to walk more and drive less. She challenged people to match her 10,000 oar strokes each day with 10,000 steps.Roz wanted to demonstrate to people that every action, no matter how small it may seem, does indeed matter.
www.rozsavage.com

Plastiki Expedition

After reading a UNEP report on marine litter, David de Rothschild made it his mission to conduct further research on trash in the ocean. He wanted to create a compelling and pioneering adventure that would inspire people to act more responsibly towards our planet. In 2009 he and his team created the Plastiki, a research vessel made out of reclaimed plastic bottles, srPET plastic and recycled waste products.Their mission is to beat waste by thinking smart and showcasing how garbage can be used as a resource thus inspiring sustainable solutions for a better way of living. The expedition is set to take off in late February 2010.
www.theplastiki.com

Ride Japan

In the summer of 2009, Charles and Sho Scott, a father-son team crossed the entire mainland of Japan on connected bicycles.  The 4,700 kilometer journey took them through the heart of Japan and 11 World Heritage Sites. The team used the ride to encourage action on climate change. 

During the ride, they raised funds for UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign which planted seven billion trees by December 2009 – one for every person on the planet.

www.japanbikeride.com

Project Kaisei

Project Kaisei consists of a team of innovators, ocean lovers, sailors, scientists, sports enthusiasts and environmentalists who have come together with a common purpose: to study how to capture plastic waste in the ocean, detoxify it, and recycle it into diesel fuel. In August 2009, Project Kaisei set out on its first mission with the goal of understanding the logistics that would be needed for a successful clean-up operation.  

Using advanced technology, Project Kaisei’s objective is to test catch methods, and demonstrate that at least some of the plastic debris in the ocean can be recycled and cleaned through a first-of-its-kind, patented solution.

www.projectkaisei.org

Luo Hong, Businessman, Photographer, Environmentalist

Luo Hong has long devoted himself to natural landscape and wild animal photography. He has been to Eastern and Southern Africa 21 times in the last ten years to photograph wild animals. He has held many exhibitions to raise money for environmental causes and he sponsors UNEP’s Painting Competition by Children in China, a hugely successful event with about 1.5 million participants

He established the Luo Hong Environment Foundation in 2006, setting out to train and reward young talent worldwide for environment protection. He continues to find ways to raise awareness on the environment and share his love for the planet.