As Tzeporah Berman told George Strombolopolis on The Hour, Everyone remembers their moment, the one that thrust them into action, and set them on a path to realizing a goal and finding a solution to a cause they believe in.

For this GreenHero, it was a summer in University when she returned to a previously lush piece of B.C. forest that had been clear-cut. The green haven that she had enjoyed the summer prior rife with streams and wildlife was now a dusty plateau.

In response, Tzeporah mobilized. She was responsible for orchestrating one of the largest displays of civil disobedience in Canadian history. Her 10,000-strong Clayoquot Sound protest in 1993 against a massive logging organization saw her arrested and charged with 850 counts of criminal aiding and abating for which she faced six years in jail.

When she was finally acquitted of the charges, she decided to take a different tactic and moved from blockades to the boardrooms. Instead of manpower, Tzeporah invoked the sway of hundreds of voices. She co-founded Forest Ethics and got her followers to call into the head offices of companies that used paper products sourced of B.C. logging. After being inundated by unhappy members of the public, the companies changed their practices. Presently, several large companies including Victoria’s Secret, and Home Depot work in conjunction with Tzeporah to pursue sustainable solutions and practices for their products and packaging.

These days, she shows no sign of slowing down. Tzeporah is currently Executive Director and of PowerUp Canada the company which she co-founded and works for Greenpeace International as Co-director of their Climate and Energy Program.

TAKE ACTION

• Ask your politicians to PowerUp! Send them a postcard message about climate change and get them to take legislative action on a cleaner energy policy.

• Join the Greenpeace: Protect the Forests campaign to stop the illegal logging of ancient forests and protect the rights of the indigenous people and species who rely on them.

• Plant a tree to breath easier! There are local “plant a tree” organizations that help people improve their gardens and green space. Just one plant begins part of a larger change.

SPEAK UP

• Sign the petition to stop Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) from marketing a certification program that markets products that harm the environment.

• You can help protect a Canadian icon by signing the Save the Caribou petition to stop the destructive logging of their forest habitat.

SPREAD THE WORD

• Follow a tireless crusader for the forest and tweet to others about her! twitter @Tzeporah

• Let everyone see what moved Tzeporah to become the GreenHero she is today. Embed our GreenHeroes story about Tzeporah on your blog, website or Facebook page with our Sharelizer (hyperlink) widget.