Vancouver woman among five hoping to win in ‘greenest person’ contest
photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/vancouvergo/2452935703/
A Vancouver woman is among five finalists for a contest seeking the world’s greenest person.Emily Jubenvill, 22, is the Canadian finalist of the contest sponsored by website 3rdwhale.com. The website’s founder, Simon Fraser University professor Boyd Cohen, said Jubenvill’s passion for community gardens may have given her the edge over other entrants.
The average transportation required for food to reach the dinner plate, and the fact that much of it is heavily pesticide or fertilizer intensive, are among the most problematic issues the world must address in the coming years, Cohen said.
“Community gardens are going to be a big part of the solution, and she’s proactive about doing that,” he said.
Six hundred entries from around the world were whittled down to the five finalists, following two rounds of online voting. The next round will select the winner, who will have a pod of Arctic beluga whales adopted in their name.
Jubenvill, who works for a bioenergy company in North Vancouver, said she’s pleased she tried a different approach than other the entrants.
“I got an email forward around Earth Day, and thought it’d be pretty cool to see how I fared against the other eco-concious Vancouverites,” she said.
“But I found (the entries) were kinda boring to read, with the same format, same information. I said, ‘Well, that’s lame. I’m going to make a movie.’ ”
Her short YouTube video about her lifestyle, which includes maxims such as buying locally, avoiding harmful chemicals and composting, clearly struck a chord with voters.
Cohen said the common thread among finalists is their willingness to apply their passion for sustainability to their careers and personal lives.
He said he wants the contest to make stars out of people who are going above and beyond to live a green lifestyle, likening it to an “American Idol for green people.”
The winner will be announced on Sept. 16.