Women in the world - Sharing the stories of inspiring woman around the world taking action on climate change.
Anne Marie Miller is the Founder and CEO of Sustainable Waste Design, a NY-based waste to energy company .
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Energetic, Inspired, Relentless.Tell us a little about the work you do and what you are doing at present?
Sustainable Waste Design provides complete waste solutions that integrate waste disposal, environmental protection, energy production, and material recycling and repurposing within the context of creating closed loop, economically justified, and intelligently designed systems.We take a truly holistic approach to waste management and do our very best to mitigate the harmful effects of linear consumption and subsequent disposal practices.
What inspires you?
The sense of duty I feel to preserve the Earth’s incredible and diverse beauty for the next generation… it gives my life purpose, and knowing I have purpose fills me with peace, immense gratitude and boundless energy to fulfill this duty.What do you think are the unique strengths of women in taking action on climate change and living better for the planet?
I may be biased, but I believe women are innately more in tune with compassion…and compassion is critical to enacting change. Opening our hearts to feel compassion for each other, our planet and the well-being of our children’s generation may be the most powerful tool we have to make real behavioral change and adapt new practices of authentic, sustainable living. Change is never easy, but I believe women have the courage to take the first steps to leave old habits behind.What do you hope to see happening in the next year in relation to forming a Women’s Climate Action Agenda?
I see the Climate Action Agenda as a foundational document that serves as a basis for discussion (and action!). This is only the beginning… and I hope that in the next year we see increased communication and collaboration between the women that came together for the IWECI summit, truly empowering each other’s missions and accelerating our collective progress.We know the time to act on climate change is now. Do you have an inspiring message or a call to action you would like to share with our 1 Million Women community?
Create less garbage. Laziness and greed is the root of most environmental (and social) issues we face today. But back to garbage… landfills give off an enormous amount of methane. One ton of Methane is equivalent to 23 tons of Carbon. If we care about reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we need to take the time to be truly conscious of how we consume resources, and make the effort to simply create less trash. Don’t be lazy, wash out containers and reuse them. Don’t be lazy, compost your food. Don’t be lazy, carry your own bags and containers to the grocery. Next time you’re about to throw something away that you could wash out and reuse, think about the next generation never getting to see a giant sea turtle, or the breathtaking beauty of a glacier. If you can live with knowing you helped contribute to that fate, continue tossing those empty plastic water bottles in the trash can.
Also, don’t be greedy… you don’t need the latest “it” pair of shoes or fashion item, tech gadget, etc. Before making your next purchase, ask yourself “Is this absolutely essential to survival?”- and if it’s not, don’t buy it. Women are responsible for nearly 85% of all purchasing decisions in the United States. Unless we all start becoming more aware of our consumption, we will jeopardize our survival by incessantly making frivolous and unnecessary purchases. Where does this all go? Why do we need to keep manufacturing at this extreme and escalating pace? …consuming our planet’s resources only to discard so much in an unsustainable, linear fashion. Let’s learn from the perfect example Mother Nature provides in the Circle of Life. “Trash” is a concept that only exists in human nature. Mother Nature wastes nothing. Recycle as much as possible and reduce overall consumption. It will save you money and make you happier. I promise. And even better… it may just save our magnificent planet.
- A bit more: Anne Marie Miller is the Founder and CEO of Sustainable Waste Design, a NY-based waste to energy company, bringing together high-level partners for sustainable waste technology project development in key U.S. and international markets. SWD provides complete waste solutions that integrate waste disposal, environmental protection, energy production and material recycling and re-purposing within the context of creating closed loop, economically justified, and intelligently designed systems. Before founding SWD, Ms. Miller has created an impressive and extensive network of contacts through startup business consulting and development spanning multiple industries, with a particular focus on environmentally sustainable technologies. Ms. Miller has also worked in close coordination with the United Nations, World Bank, and various IGO’s to implement cleantech infrastructure in countries from Latin American and the Caribbean to Africa. Ms. Miller studied biomedical engineering at Columbia University, holds a Masters in Management with a concentration in Corporate Sustainability, is a Board member of Aspen-based American Renewable Energy Institute, and co-Chair of Earth Council Alliance.