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“95% of all of the environmental issues out there trace back to animal agriculture and the havoc that it creates.”
Suzy Cameron
Perhaps you know today’s guest from one of her 25+ roles on the silver screen appearing in movies like Titanic, Fandango and The Usual Suspects. Or maybe you know her as the better half of the world’s most successful film director, James Cameron – the incomparable mind behind the biggest cinematic blockbusters of all time: Aliens, Terminator, Titanic and of course Avatar – the highest grossing movie ever.
But Suzy Amis Cameron is so much more than all that. In addition to raising five kids, she is a pioneering environmental activist. A passionate philanthropist. An education innovator. And the maverick co-founder (along with her sister Rebecca) of MUSE. Grabbing international headlines last year when it became the first U.S. school to implement a 100% plant-based school lunch program, MUSE is an incredibly progressive, paradigm breaking K-12 institution devoted to sustainability; creative & critical thinking; and preparing young people to live consciously within themselves, one another and the planet. A pretty great vision if you ask me.
A living example of selfless advocacy in action, for the last 25 years Suzy has tirelessly dedicated herself to an array of environmental causes, working non-stop to reform education; combat global climate change; raze our execrable system of animal agriculture; overhaul our fatal addiction to the standard American diet; defeat chronic lifestyle disease; and engineer a better, healthier food system for all.
Towards this end, in 2014 James and Suzy founded Food Choice Taskforce, a non-profit organization targeting the impact of animal agriculture on climate change to mobilize a global shift in food choice. She is also a founder of Food Forest Organics, a New Zealand-based plant-based cafe and marketplace, and Red Carpet Green Dress, showcasing socially and environmentally responsible fashions.
This is a great conversation about her extraordinary life. It’s a conversation about the intricate, intertwined relationship between our actions and the biosphere. It’s about championing sustainable values – from what we do, to what we wear, to how we teach our children, to the food we eat. It’s about how our consumer choices impact our personal health and the current and future health of this spinning blue globe we call home. And of course, it’s about what it’s like to be married to Hollywood’s most successful director.
Specific topics covered include:
- the impact of ‘Forks Over Knives’
- environmental concerns and advocacy
- animal agriculture as the center of all health issues
- health sector and environmentalist summit
- Chatham House research on agriculture & environment
- communicating with the average person the powers of a plant-based diet
- bringing about hope by changing what’s on our plate
- the importance of support systems
- MUSE School & MUSE Global
- educating the community on the plant-based lifestyle
- sustainability pledge & One Meal A Day
- our youth, the global champions of tomorrow
- typical day in the life of the Cameron’s
- sustainable fashion
- future projects to catalyze change
Suzy stirs me to do and be better. Listen in, and be equally inspired.
Peace + Plants,
Listen & Subscribe on iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher
Thanks to Brandon Hickman for the photos of Suzy. CHeck out his work at brandonhickman.com
SHOW NOTES
Connect With Suzy: Website | Facebook | Twitter
Food Choice Taskforce: To learn more on how you can help show the impact of animal agriculture on climate change and the environment visit FoodChoiceTaskforce.org
MUSE School: Inspiring and Preparing Young People to Live Consciously with Themselves, One Another, and the Planet. For more information, visit museschool.org
Red Carpet Green Dress: Where positive fashion meets the red carpe. Learn more at redcarpetgreendress.com
Background, Context & Reference:
- Chatham House: Livestock – Climate Change’s Forgotten Sector
- Chatham House: Diet and Climate Change: Assessing Public Understanding and Behavior
- Chatham House: Global Public Opinion on Meat and Dairy Consumption
- ChathamHouse: A Global Response to HFCs Through Fair and Effective Ozone and Climate Policies
- Food for a Sustainable Nation: My Plate, My Planet
- Food Forest Organics: foodforestorganics.co.nz
- Red Carpet Green Dress: redcarpetgreendress.com
- HuffPo: An American Plate That Is Palatable For Human And Planetary Health
- CollectiveEvolution: Why James & Suzy Cameron’s School Is Revolutionizing The Way We Educate Children
- Design&Architecture: Filmmaker James Cameron Creates Solar ‘Sun Flowers’ to Power Muse School
- HollywoodReporter: James Cameron, Suzy Amis Cameron Unveil ‘Solar Sun Flowers’ Project
- HauteLiving: Suzy Amis Cameron Receives Titanic Gift From Husband James
- HappyCow: One Meal A Day For The Planet And More With MUSE School
- MetroUK: Director James Cameron’s Wife Opened First All-Vegan School As He Filmed Avatar
- NPR: James Cameron-Backed School To Terminate Meat And Dairy
- OneGreenPlanet: The Day My Food World Turned Upside Down: My Plant-Based Journey
- OneGreenPlanet: Say Hello to America’s First All Vegan School, Thanks to Suzy Amis Cameron and James Cameron
- Variety: James Cameron’s Next Climate Push: The American Diet
- Vogue: Sustainable Hollywood
- TheWashingtonPost: James Cameron Wants You To Fight Global Warming By Changing What You Eat
- People: James Cameron Announces His Wife’s Private School Is Going Vegan
- TheGuardian: Hollywood Power Couple To Launch Sustainable Plant-Based Diet Campaign
- TheNewYorker: D.I.Y. School
- EcoRazzi: Exclusive Interview With Vegan Environmentalist Suzy Amis-Cameron
- Grist: Move over, Avatar: Suzy Amis-Cameron Fights Environmental Disaster With Vegan School Lunches
- Variety: Eco-Friendly Fashion Reigns at Suzy Amis Cameron’s ‘Red Carpet Green Dress’ Pre-Oscar Bash
- HuffPost: Protecting Wildlife, One Bite at a Time
- LATimes: Fall Planting at the Mini Farm of James and Suzy Amis Cameron
- NYDailyNews: James Cameron and wife Suzy Amis Cameron To Make Their School All Vegan
- James Cameron: Going Vegan is Good for the Planet
- ModernFarmer: James Cameron’s Wife’s Private School Goes Completely Vegan
- Salon: Suzy Amis Cameron “Greens” The Red Carpet
Films & Books:
- Film: Forks Over Knives *by T. Colin Campbell
- Film: Cowspiracy* by Keegan Kuhn & Kip Andersen
- Film: Earthlings* narrated by Joaquin Phoenix
- Film: Devour the Earth (YouTube)
- Book: The China Study* by T. Colin Campbell
- Book: The Plant-Based Journey: A Step-by-Step Guide for Transitioning to a Healthy Lifestyle and Achieving Your Ideal Weight* by Lani Muelrath
Notable People Discussed In Today’s Podcast:
- Elliot Washor
- Dean Ornish, MD
- Caldwell Esselstyn
- Rip Esselstyn
- T. Colin Campbell
- John McDougall
- Richard Oppenlander
- Jim Hicks
- Neal Barnard
- Amie Hamlin
- Kimbal Musk
- Kelly Meyer
- Louie Psihoyos
Related Podcasts You Might Enjoy:
- RRP #034: How PS 244 Became The 1st US Public School To Institute A Vegetarian School Lunch Program
- RRP #035: Gene Baur on Factory Farming, Ag-Gag Bills, Health & Consumer Choice
- RRP #062: David Simon on Meatonomics
- RRP #079: T. Colin Campbell on How Plant-based Nutrition Can Prevent & Reverse Disease
- RRP #080: Howard Jacobson on Rethinking The Science Of Nutrition
- RRP #091: Keegan Kuhn & Kip Andersen, filmmakers of Cowspiracy
- RRP #135: Joshua Katcher on Reimagining Fashion As Environmentally & Ethically Sound
- RRP #139 : Dan Buettner on How To Live To Be 100+
- RRP #158:Stephen Ritz On Transforming The Bronx & Generations Of Kids By Turning His Classroom Into A Farm
Production, music & sound design by Tyler Piatt. Additional production by Chris Swan. Graphic art by Shawn Patterson.
*Disclosure:Books and products denoted with an asterisk are hyperlinked to an affiliate program. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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Suzy and James Cameron are both shining examples, of privileged humans being of service to the greater good of us all (Oneness).
Communicating with the average person the powers of a plant-based diet, is a real challenge. The message “is” getting out there, but it’s going to take a significant number of vocal celebrities and pro-athletes to really make people “believe” in the power of plants. With these high level advocates, it is much easier for us regular-people vegans to point to famous people thriving with plants, and not be cast-off as some out-of-touch renunciate.
Being a lighthouse in this world can be rather difficult, when you’re patiently sitting tolerantly amongst the thick fog of status quo habitual culture, fueled by billion dollar advertising campaign sectors.
Namaste
Great discussion, I only wish it was longer.
Rich, this was a great podcast, thank you. One particular comment especially struck a cord with me because I have been trying to reconcile with it myself, and that is the footprint of dog food. I am committed to a whole foods plant based diet, it’s what I do for work as well, so we eat well at our home to say the least. Yet both of my dogs have developed skin problems and allergies. So, I decided to start making my own dog food with whole foods and get my dogs off the junk-biscuits. However, after much research on a balanced diet for dogs this plant-pusher is now filling her grocery cart with meat, yogurt, eggs! I like the fact that my dogs are eating real, higher quality food, and their skin issues are clearing up. But I am not fully convinced yet that dogs are meant to eat a vegan diet, so not sure where to go from here. Not to mention that everyone knows me in this small community and people regularly call me out in the grocery store when they look into my cart! So, I would love to be part of an evolving conversation about this, and hear your thoughts if you are willing to share.
Thanks!
Meg
This was one of the best podcasts you have done Rich. I have a new goal. To create a Muse style school in the UK. What an inspirational woman. Amazing. Keep up the good work. Lee x