Heroes 2008

Leaders & Visionaries

Kevin Conrad

He took on the U.S. government and proved that smaller nations can lead the way in fighting climate change

MOGULS & ENTREPRENEURS

Jean-François and Jean-Charles Decaux

A hit in Paris, their bike-rental scheme is ready to be rolled out worldwide

Activists

Annie Leonard

With wit and poignancy, she reveals the real cost of our throwaway culture

SCIENTISTS & INNOVATORS

Soren Hermansen

To help a Danish island go carbon-free, he harnessed its most sustainable asset: the power of community

The New Action Heroes

The New York City Mayor and California's Governor are doing the things that gridlocked Washington won't

Global Warming, Up Close and Personal

An esteemed explorer and environmentalist, Will Steger will make a 1,400-mile dogsled trip across the Arctic next month, at 64. And he'll bring cameras, so we can watch

The Amazon Gets Less and Less Green

The demands of the global food and energy market may literally be eating away at the world's largest single natural absorber of carbon dioxide

Paris's Bicycle Days

The French capital has introduced a bike rental program called Vélib' — a slang combination of the French words velo, for bike, and liberté, for liberty

Israel Looks to Electric Cars

In a first-of-its-kind program, the government hopes to put charging stations all over the country and get gas guzzlers off the roads starting in 2011