It seems all too recently that I found myself writing about the sad passing of Interface’s inspirational Ray Anderson (see my blog ‘A Ray of light…’), and here I am again crafting a mini-eulogy for yet another incredible, powerful and wonderful advocate and activist for sustainability Wangari Maathai.

I was fortunate to meet Wangari in person a couple of years ago when we helped curate a series of lectures, ‘Architecture & Climate Change’ in partnership with RIBA. My over-riding memories are of that heart-melting smile, resplendent outfit, direct straight-talking style and eyes that burnt with both a fierce determination and love for her cause, our cause.

It is all too easy to become despondent and disillusioned when you work in sustainability, when we bump up against resistant forces, entrenched behaviours, vested interests and seemingly impossible odds and timescales, but Wangari’s ambitions and achievements stand as a ringing and vibrant testimony to what simple old fashioned practical passion and doing can deliver.

I don’t need to list her considerable contributions to our environment, the welfare of the poorest Kenyan people, the rights of women and the notions of what is possible in this world, others have written eloquently about these already (see this Guardian article).

But suffice to say she tirelessly campaigned on those issues that ired her, helped plant over 50M trees through her Green Belt Movement, challenged political corruption and cronyism, and was unafraid to put herself and her own body on the line if needs be to raise awareness or draw attention to things that were simply in her eyes ‘wrong’.

We lost another international sustainability star and role model this week. The most fitting tribute we can ever pay to the likes of Wangari and Ray is to acknowledge and celebrate their courageous commitment and transformative achievements and aspire, in whatever way we can, to making our own contributions to changing the world.

Let us continue the work people…we owe it to those pioneers who have trodden this long path to sustainability before us, those whom walk alongside us now, and those who will walk it in the future. The journey continues…