Annie Leonard is speaking at Franklin & Marshall College at 11:30AM on Thursday, April 18th.  The talk is free and open to the public. 

ANNIE LEONARD 

Annie Leonard is the Director of the Story of Stuff Project and author of The Story of Stuff (Free Press, March 2010).

In December 2007, Annie released The Story of Stuff, a hit 20-minute webfilm that takes viewers on a provocative and eye-opening tour of the often hidden costs of our consumer driven culture. The Story of Stuff has generated over 13 million views in more than 200 countries and territories since its launch, making it one of the most successful environmental-themed viral films of all time.   In addition to the original film, Annie and the Story of Stuff Project have released several other films that delve more deeply into concepts presented in The Story of Stuff by relating them to everyday products such as cosmetics, electronics and bottled water.

Throughout the book and the films, Annie sheds light on America’s consumption craze as she connects the dots between all the stuff in our lives and the environmental, economic, and social issues we face. Drawing on two decades of experience traveling the globe visiting the places where our stuff is made and the places where it’s dumped, Annie’s rapid-fire, fact-filled stories lend humor and hope to what is all too often a bleak situation. Never one to dwell in the negative, Annie also shares her thoughts on how we get ourselves out of this mess and move closer to a more just and sustainable future.

Prior to directing The Story of Stuff Project, Annie spent 2 decades working on international sustainability, environmental and health issues. She traveled to 40 countries, visiting the factories where our stuff is made and the dumps where it is dumped, collecting interviews and facts along the way. During this time, she worked for various environmental organizations, including Greenpeace International and GAIA. She studied environmental and political science at Barnard College and Cornell University.  Annie is a contributing editor for YES! Magazine and she resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

For more information on the The Story of Stuff and Annie, please visit storyofstuff.org.