The Ethos Project seeks to uncover and share the deeply held values and beliefs that inspire and sustain environmental action worldwide. By interviewing leading voices and grassroots activists, we will illuminate the motivations that lie beneath policy initiatives, campaigns, and solutions—revealing the deeper forces that energize the environmental movement.
Why This Matters
The environmental movement is vast and growing, yet its underlying motivations remain largely unspoken and underutilized. Millions of people around the globe are engaged in advocacy, activism, and innovation, but the focus often stays on practical solutions. What drives this work at the human level—the sense of meaning, purpose, and connection—remains less explored.
Many leaders have noted that technical solutions alone are not enough. As former Vice President Al Gore has stated, the climate crisis is ultimately a moral challenge—about what is right and what is wrong.
From global figures to local change makers, there is a growing recognition that the movement is fueled by more than science or strategy—it is also animated by reverence for life and the Earth, by a vision of human flourishing within ecological limits, and by a search for meaning in our relationship with the natural world.
Imagine the impact from a more well developed set of ethos behind the environmental movement that everyone could rally around–creating a deeper and stronger foundation for collective and meaningful action.
How We Will Do This
The Ethos Project will conduct in-depth and personal interviews with a wide range of the most passionate environmental leaders and ask questions such as:
• What values or beliefs drive you to dedicate yourself to this work?
• What sustains your commitment at the deepest level?
• When do you feel the strongest connection with the natural world?
We aim to engage with a wide range of voices—from well-known environmental leaders to regional and community changemakers, whose stories are less often heard. Our research will highlight both common threads and unique perspectives, weaving them into a synthesis that captures the shared ethos of the movement.
The results will be published online and ultimately in a landmark report – aimed at environmentalists worldwide – in language that is open, modern, and accessible.
Leadership
The project is led by Steve Richard, a climate leader and activist for nearly two decades. Inspired by the film An Inconvenient Truth, Steve founded Sustainable Lafayette in 2007 and has since developed a wide range of community sustainability initiatives. Trained by Al Gore and the Climate Reality Project, he has mentored over 100 climate leaders and co-founded the largest chapter in the U.S. He has also served on local environmental and climate advisory committees in California and Washington and lives with his wife in two net-zero townhomes.
Advisors
Fran Korten is an active advisor of the Ethos Project. These days she counts herself as an “active volunteer on climate change and get-out-the-vote issues”. For over 20 years she served as Executive Director, Publisher, and Contributing Editor of the Positive Futures Network, publisher of YES! magazine–whose mission was to encourage people from all walks of life to actively engage in creating a more just, sustainable, and compassionate future. Prior to that Fran served as grantmaker in the Ford Foundation’s offices in Manila, Jakarta, and New York. She has a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Stanford University and has taught at Harvard University.
Background
Steve first hatched the idea of the Ethos Project with pastor and close friend Dan Senter. Coming from completely different backgrounds they both reached a similar conclusion – there is a deeper ethos taking shape behind the environmental movement. So they brainstormed together and conducted test interviews to see how compelling they might be. Dan continues to be a close collaborator.
Contact
The Ethos Project 