“Be the change you wish to see in the world” is one of the most oft-cited quotes among environmental advocates. I know of many trying to live out Gandhi’s words, myself included. But rarely do I meet someone who manages to “be the change” as well as Deirdre Imus, best-selling author and co-founder of the ground-breaking Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology and the Imus Cattle Ranch for Kids with Cancer. While interviewing her for my upcoming book, I learned that that the secret to Deirdre’s success isn’t what she knows (and she knows a lot). It’s what she does with what she knows, starting in her everyday life. Her example sets a standard for anyone struggling to make a difference. Here is an excerpt from our interview:
Deirdre, can you explain how your interest in combating children’s cancer led you to focus your attention on cleaning products?
“During his decades on the air, my husband developed a heart for children battling cancer after becoming involved with Tomorrows Children’s Fund. After Don and I married in 1994, we started working with sick children together. We noticed a common theme: These kids were like normal kids in every way except they had lost their self-esteem. During recovery and afterwards, they were reluctant to participate in sports and other activities. Neither conventional care nor alternative medicine was working to restore the self-esteem or dignity of young cancer patients. With Don’s background as a cattle rancher’s son, he knew intuitively that the cowboy work ethic would be the perfect antidote to help restore these kids’ health and self-confidence. So we started raising money to build a ranch for kids. Out of the decade-long process of creating a completely toxin-free setting for these kids came the understanding that organic cleaning agents are critical to the health of any environment.”
How did you go about turning the kernel of an idea for a line of green cleaning products into a comprehensive system for helping schools and hospitals go green? Did you plan for it to become as big as it has?
“I didn’t really plan this at all. It started with a single idea and a lot of curiosity. The ‘Greening the Cleaning’ program, which today is being used by over 500 hospitals, schools, and businesses, is a direct extension of the work and research we did to make the ranch as green as possible. One day at a time I focus on solving the problems right in front of me. That has led me to where I am today.”
What other green attributes does your ranch offer?
“Ours is the only working cattle ranch in America that we know of to be organic and vegan. There is a 31 percent increase in cancer among children. And cancer isn’t the only epidemic. One in six kids is obese. One of six kids has asthma. One in eight children is born premature. One out of sixty boys is diagnosed with autism. We’ve seen rapid growth in Tourette syndrome and diabetes. Another chronic disease growing among children is arthritis. These statistics are hard facts. Why is this generation of children sicker than other children? Many factors that contribute to this startling increase are environmental. That is the reality. So I began to focus on one area where I could make a significant impact: food. Our food chain has been destroyed. This is the root of where all my work in the green arena blossomed.
I’ve been a vegan for 25 years. Back in high school as a runner, I discovered I could perform better and feel better with a vegetable and plant-based diet. So I’ve been living this way for several decades. That is how it was so natural to weave it into the business. Our ranch in New Mexico is completely non-toxic. We built 17 state-of-the-art green buildings. We have around 5,000 acres with a working farm of horses, chickens, donkeys, sheep, and cattle. We don’t spray any pesticides. In fact, we’re working on applying for biodynamic certification.”
From a behavioral standpoint, how is the organization green?
“It takes a long time to produce in abundance foods that don’t contain any toxins, but we are confident that everything we serve these kids from our ranch is organic and toxin-free. In fact, every substance that we can control from fly sprays to mosquito sprays are non-toxic and organic. And of course, so are our cleaning products. But our work extends beyond protecting the physical environment. Part of being green for me is creating a nurturing and a healing environment. This is our 11th year of having the kids out for the summer. We love being able to assign the kids their own horses and teaching them how to feed, care for, and ride them. They love it and we love it.
Also, the ranch serves as a role model because we are not a camp; we are a teaching facility. We are showing other ranchers how you can maintain grass-fed cattle and a balanced ecology. Although we built ours from scratch on pristine land, someone that already has a farm can transform it in 5 years by ridding their land and property of toxins and using products like the ones we use.”
When did you decide to apply this to the world outside your ranch?
“Around 2000, I wondered if hospitals were true places of healing. I started to do my research and found that hospitals were using lethal doses of poisonous products, all in the name of cleaning. My idea started with a question: are hospitals, which are supposed to be places of healing, really able to do that by using these products? How can people heal in a toxic environment?”
So how did you execute your vision?
“I approached Hackensack University Medical Center to do a pilot program. In 2000, the word green wasn’t even on the map, so I didn’t expect it to be an easy sell. I walked into the CEO John Ferguson’s office with a stack of research. He stopped me in my tracks and told me to go do it. That is literally how I got started ‘greening the cleaning.’ Aligning with John Ferguson taught me how critical it is to find a hero inside the organization. The key is to find a person that can see your vision and get them to help you. It doesn’t have to be the CEO, but it does help. So you’ve got to find that one hero. It works every time. He just had the instinct and saw my vision.”
So this pilot program was instrumental to your success?
“Absolutely. From there we had a story to tell. Hospitals are held to the strictest standards for cleanliness. For us, “green” had to be the cleanest possible but without losing its efficacy. I talked to scientists and epidemiologists and connected with people that manufacture products. It was a lot of work, but ultimately we found the right people by talking to the doctors who had the best information. In spring of 2001, I found a manufacturer and got the product line into the hospital. What better example in society if you can do it in a hospital setting, which has all sorts of codes and standards to comply with? We successfully did that and we got recognized. I was surprised because the state and the governor called with these awards. The beauty of this is that it proved that it worked EVEN BETTER, we saved them money, and it’s completely non-toxic. The fourth benefit is that we set it up as a non-profit. So we offer a superior system with the benefits of saving money and supporting our children’s ranch. It’s a winning combination for any company. It all came out of that first project.”
You really covered all the bases. What advice can you give readers searching for a starting point? So many people want to make a difference but still don’t know what their niche should be.
“Pick a field you are completely passionate about and find opportunities within that. There are so many problems everywhere that need to be addressed. If you aren’t prepared to make something up yourself, you can align with one of our programs or help bring momentum to any other programs out there. For example, consider the health care industry. There are so many directions you can go. You can join the Mercury Elimination program through Sustainable Hospitals. We are connected globally with Health Care Without Harm. For nursing, we are helping green doctors, green pediatrics, green chemists, and so on. I’ve educated schools of nurses to help them change. Or if you want to be a chef, look for new applications for organic cuisine. Restaurants aren’t the only employers. Hospitals need all organic plant-based foods. In our hospital, we created with the chef a gourmet menu. We’ve got organic choices, whole grain pastas, kosher, and vegan options. It can be more expensive but we’re working with local co-ops and farmers. If you’re a farmer you’ve got to go organic. If you’re a schoolteacher, you can create a sustainable garden. Be creative. Initiate it. That is what we’ve done. We’ve created a new model within a hospital structure. This never existed before. Many green ideas will have to be like that because they are so innovative.”
Most people feel too overwhelmed to make meaningful green changes in their own lives, let alone in the lives of others. What words of encouragement do you have for someone who thinks change is impossible?
“There are no small changes. There are single fundamental changes one step at a time. When you green your cleaning products, you are eliminating millions of gallons of water that would have been polluted. That is a huge environmental improvement that can be made through a single change. There are hundreds of others. I focus on what I can control today, making healthier decisions wherever possible. The seeds of change start with ourselves. Say someone is starting from scratch. I don’t care if you are a mom at home or a CEO in a company. Change begins one step at a time. When I started, I did one thing at a time and before I knew it, I had ten things done. That’s how you make change happen.”
Did you think you would be this successful when you got started?
“I never thought this would happen. I worked instinctively. I started with food because of personal interest. Through food I learned about all the toxins in our environment. Every idea triggered another one. I never imagined that I’d be here. For anyone who thinks they can’t do it, I’m living proof that you can make a difference. My best advice is to just be the example. Our actions are the loudest voice we could possibly have.”
Deirdre closes with a story she heard that she still remembers. “Mother Theresa was standing in the streets of Calcutta and a journalist looked around at all the lepers. He asked her where she could possibly begin to address the problem. “I am going to help the leper in front of me,” replied Mother Theresa. “That is what we do every day,” says Deirdre. “We help the kid right in front of us.”
One of those kids is her son, Wyatt. He doesn’t suffer from cancer, but he’s been as much a part of the ranch as his parents. Not surprisingly, he’s been learning from them all along. “He wants to be a green rancher someday and set an example for other ranchers,” says Deirdre. For all of Deirdre’s accomplishments, I’m sure that is one of the nearest to her heart. Deirdre’s example, which any one of us can follow, proves that genuine change –like charity - begins at home.
Anna Clark is president of EarthPeople, a Dallas-based sustainability consulting firm. She is an author, a speaker, a columnist for Greenbiz.com, and a regular contributor to SustainLane. Anna lives in Dallas with her husband Michael, their toddlers Jordan and Ryan, and their pet Bullmastiff named Casper. Their home is the second LEED-certified Platinum residence in Dallas.
