Kim Carlson

Fresh Approach: “My big, broad goal is to help green become more mainstream,” Carlson says. “Since 2002, I’ve dedicated my life to changing attitudes about living a green lifestyle. I speak at universities, governments, and corporations. I write for magazines and newspapers. I do television appearances, and I’ve got an Internet radio show called Livin’ the Green Life with Kim Carlson, every Thursday on Voice America Network.

Going Green: “I wrote a letter to President Nixon in the 1970s—DDT was banned within a few months—I guess I had a huge impact!” Carlson says. “Once I got involved in business, I realized that there was nothing earth-friendly about business and that I really had a passion for injecting earth-friendliness into my own businesses.”

Why Now: “The perfect storm of global warming, [Hurricane] Katrina, our warmest years ever, high energy prices, and environmental health issues—asthma rates and cancer rates are way up.”

Sexy Sells: “Buy a bottle of organic wine or vodka. Ecotourism is the fastest-growing segment of tourism, so go to an eco spa! Have friends over and have a fabulous organic meal and have an all-natural theme at the table. This is simple . . . and entertaining! It has to be cool, or fun, or sexy, or we won’t do it.”

Green Way: ‘The most important thing people can do is drive less. Group your errands together. Keep the tires on the car filled to the proper PSI [pounds per square inch]. Get a hybrid car. Eat organic food. Eat lower on the food chain. You don’t have to cut out meat entirely.”

Here to Stay: “I’m still surprised when people see green as risky or when it’s called a trend. It’s not a trend. It’s a fundamental shift or change in the way business will be done from now on. When people say they aren’t on board—or are afraid of it—that shouldn’t shock me, but it still does. It makes me realize how much more work there is to do.”

Kids in America: “There was just a study about what millennials are most concerned about, and the environment was in the top three. The skepticism comes in with people around since the 1970s with the first energy crisis. They lived through an era when being earth-friendly meant being an old hippie. As the media does reports, and as some of these issues heat up—literally—those misconceptions will go away.”

Keeping It Real: “I’m developing a line of authentically green home décor products, EarthSmart Kim Carlson, which will launch in 2008. It [includes] very natural-looking recycled-glass dishes, place mats, rugs, and recycled or sustainable materials. I’ve had interest from some big national retailers.”