Larry Mason, a self-proclaimed “accidental environmentalist,” veered from a storied corporate career to the Earthwatch Institute, where he is the chief executive officer. Earthwatch engages people worldwide in field science research, promoting the understanding and action necessary to create a sustainable environment. Mason claims that Earthwatch mobilizes its volunteers to go back to their communities with a new sustainable frame of mind.

“For me, the Earthwatch model of objectivity through science — acknowledging that there are issues, but using the data to find the solutions — really matches my personal values.” Mason reveals. “As someone that was involved in growing businesses, developing economies [and] making people’s lives better from a financial standpoint, it’s interesting to see the objectivity of what the science is going to say and what responsible people are going to do.”

Will Allen, founder and CEO of Growing Power, grew up as part of his family’s 400-year farming legacy, but it wasn’t until he was playing basketball professionally in Belgium and helping teammates on a farm that he had his transformative moment. Upon moving back stateside to his wife’s home in Wisconsin, he bought a 100-acre parcel of land that eventually led to the formation of the Growing Power. Today, the nonprofit is made up of 25 farms employing 140 employees — 300 acres of production, 25 acres of greenhouses, in total. The organization works to train farmers in urban, suburban and rural communities.

“You can’t learn how to farm in a classroom — you have to go out and do it,” Allen says. “It is an art, growing food this way. Start out by getting some good soil. We need good soil to grow the high-nutrition food we need to grow.”

Tria Case is tasked with examining all aspects of sustainability at the City University of New York, a network of 24 colleges comprised of nearly half-a-million students and faculty. One eco-advancement CUNY is focused on is implementing solar power systems across greater New York City. The city is home to 1 million buildings, which means there are 1 million rooftops that could bear solar infrastructure.

“CUNY, as a singular organization, not only has the ability to change how its students and faculty operate, but to lead the city toward looking at how to implement a more sustainable future,” Case says. “We are putting in place programs that we think will help to lead New York City, New York State and the country toward being able to work toward clean energy solutions.”

Energy Star, launched in 1992 by the U.S. EPA, helps consumers identify the most efficient products and practices. More than 20 years later, the EPA has 18,000+ partner companies all committed to improving the energy efficiency of the products we use on a daily basis as well as the homes and buildings we occupy. Products that earn the Energy Star label must pass strict guidelines set by the EPA. Kristinn Leonhart, the EPA’s Energy Star Brand Manager, sees significant benefits in helping Americans to choose energy-efficient products.

“Energy use in homes, buildings and industry accounts for two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States,” Leonhart reveals. “Energy Star has been instrumental in reducing this energy use.”