The Story of Cosmetics

She's educated us on a wide range of environmental topics, including cap and trade and bottled water, and now 45-year-old Berkeley activist Annie Leonard is back with The Story of Cosmetics. The 8-minute film examines the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in our everyday personal care products, from lipstick to baby shampoo.

I love how she addresses environmental concerns in an entertaining, clever, clear and concise way. You know she does this on purpose? There was a recent LA Times article about Leonard where she says, "We environmentalists are a whiny, wonky bunch. We bombard people with facts. But who wants to join a movement where people just scold you? We have to make it inspiring. We have to make it fun."

If you can't get enough of Leonard's educational videos, you'll be happy to hear that coming this fall is "The Story of Electronics," which will be about planned obsolescence and pollutants in computers and cellphones.

Nice!