Meet Laura Stec, Author of Cool Cuisine

After nailing down her cooking chops at the Culinary Institute of America and The School of Natural Cookery and sitting on the staff at Acterra, a Cali-based environmental organization, Laura Stec blended her passion for the planet with food. She wanted to prove that a healthier world could start with high-vibe goodies so she started cooking up green cuisine dinner parties—and it worked. Her delectable message won over the bellies of Google, Harvard University, and the Environmental Defense Fund—just a few of her prestigious clients. Now, with a solid 37 years of both the food and environmental industries under her belt, Laura makes it her business to educate corporations and institutions on ways to implement responsible cuisine—in addition to running her own personal chef/catering business.

But Laura's feelings on good and green grub aren't exclusive to her clients. Foodies and all-around environmentalists can find it in her book, Cool Cuisine—a compendium on how agribusiness affects global warming, solution-oriented sustainable food choices, and tasty global-cooling recipes we can all whip up at home. Students at the Art Institute of California can also find her teaching a first-of-its-kind course on food and the environment. And we had the delight of speaking to her directly.

How did you get into this line of work?

In 1981, I became a vegetarian, solely motivated by the connection between food and the environment. (I am no longer a vegetarian, but I rarely eat meat.) Seven years later, I started one of the first food and environment education programs in the U.S. About the same time, I started my culinary training and naturally matched the two together.

What was your "a-ha" moment?

In regards to the idea for the book—I had an "NPR Driveway moment" in December of 2006, when I listened to a report from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) entitled Livestock's Long Shadow. The report cited that 18 percent of the world's global warming-causing total greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock. I knew I had to address solutions.

Who is your green hero?

Peter Drekmeier, the mayor of Palo Alto and my former colleague at environmental organizations Bay Area Action and Acterra. Unlike most other mayors, he's making his municipality truly green through policy and swift courses of action.

What is your ultimate green goal?

To change the world through great tasting, high-vibe food.

What is your motivation?

Pleasure, taste, community and spirit.

What is most important to you, ecologically speaking?

In regards to the food system—taking better care of the soil.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Talking with people who not only don't believe in global warming, but are angry that anyone else does.

What is the most rewarding?

Seeing how the interest in the connection between food and environment has grown over the years and how excited people are to participate in the solutions.

Of the people you have worked with, who impresses you most?

The farmers and ranchers. They are the original environmentalists. They make their livelihood off of the land and therefore, know how to treat it with care.

What green thing do you do everyday?

According to the University of California Davis, there are six main food system-related things mucking up our planet: carbon-emitting livestock, conventional farming practices, energy-sucking greenhouse grown foods, flown-in foods, un-used food scraps, and consumer travel (from store to plate). I try to eat everything in a way that's opposite of these.

What do you wish you could do?

Change the way the world eats.

What is your biggest eco-sin?

Getting in an airplane. Foodwise? Boxed macaroni and cheese—the orange-r, the better!

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

Turn our waste into our fuel.

What is your best green advice?

'If it ain't fun it don't get done.' And, 'Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good.' We as eco-leaders need to understand that we can't only put high expectations on the global community. We can't all turn vegetarian overnight. Going green can be fun and simple, too.

Change Makers is series of interviews with people famous and obscure who are creating a more sustainable world through their work. Meet more Change Makers here.