How Does A Race Car Driver Change The World? | Ken Spector of Living Echo Interviews Leilani Münter [VIDEO]
When I think of race car driving, environmental action is not one of the things that comes to mind. On the contrary, given its nature – race cars, the sport represents to me the antithesis of conservation and protection of the environment.
I was surprised and delighted therefore, to learn about Leilani Münter, professional race car driver and environmental activist, who is using her voice to change her sport for the better.
Considering that the number one spectator sport is race car driving, with one hundred million fans in the U.S., Leilani’s efforts could have a tremendous impact. Imagine 75 million NASCAR fans recycling their cans. Imagine 40 million INDYCAR fans using energy efficient lightbulbs. Imagine 100 million race fans using canvas bags instead of plastic or paper.
By raising awareness about sustainable living alternatives, clean energy, alternative vehicle fuels, and environmental legislation, Leilani explains her mission: to spread a message about ways to protect the planet, call to action a million race fans, and inspire fans to make a difference.
How Does Race Car Driver Leilani Münter Go Green?
A long-time vegetarian and former photo double for actress Catherine Zeta Jones, Leilani has been adopting an acre of rainforest since 2007 for every race she runs to offset her carbon footprint. (Note: to learn how you can offset your carbon footprint as well, check out our previous interview with our friend Hans Chung of MokuGift.)
As the first Ambassador of the National Wildlife Federation, Leilani is politically active on behalf of environmental issues and has made several visits to Capitol Hill to speak with members of Congress on behalf of clean energy and climate change legislation.
In The World of Racing …
Leilani is the fourth woman in history to race in the Indy Pro Series, and set the record for the highest finish for a female driver in the history of Texas Motor Speedway when she finished fourth in 2006. Her racing accomplishments have landed her on the pages of USA Today, Italian Vogue, Esquire, and ESPN. Sports Illustrated named her one of the top ten female race car drivers in the world.
Interview With Leilani Münter: What Is The Race Car Industry Doing To Promote Sustainability?
In the video interview above with Ken Spector of Living Echo, Leilani explains how she got into racing and talks about how the racing industry is making changes to become more sustainable.
Specifically, Leilani tells us about the Green Racing Challenge, a joint effort between the EPA and others to use motor sport competition to help rapidly develop cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicle propulsion systems that will eventually be used in consumer vehicles.
Leilani also shares additional promising developments including NASCAR’s appointment of a new Head of Green Innovation, as well as the development of BMW’s Hydrogen 7, the world’s first performance car with hydrogen drive that emits virtually nothing but water vapor. (Yes, you can actually drink the exhaust. Wow.)
Enjoy the interview above – and for Parts II and III of this interview series, see:
Part II: (Leilani On Clean Energy Alternatives) and Part III (Leilani On Racing With A Purpose). To learn more, be sure to check out Leilani’s website, Carbon Free Girl, as well as her blog in the green section of the Huffington Post.
Leilani, thank you for all you do! : )
envisionGood Friends: Do you know of other technologies that are coming on the market that support a sustainable lifestyle? Let us know in the comments below : – )
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