Green Guru is Active

By Jane Han
Korea Times Correspondent

NEW YORK ― Most kids want funky gadgets or cool toys for their birthdays, but not Danny Seo. On his 12th birthday, all he wanted and asked for was an environmental group to "save the planet" ― and that's exactly what he got.

With $23 and a few friends, the young idealist who cared about dying whales and rainforests founded Earth 2000, which eventually grew into a national organization.

"I never wanted to pursue the normal route but wanted to go after something that was personally of interest to me," said Seo, a star "eco-stylist" who was fatefully born on Earth Day.

Now America's face of eco-living, the hip 32-year-old environmental expert champions green living by consulting some of Hollywood's biggest celebrities, writing lifestyle how-to columns and books, and running an organic bath and beauty products business.

"I wanted to pursue environmental protection as a mission, not so much as a job," Seo said in an interview with The Korea Times, "but over the years, it has evolved into a profession that helps me achieve both professional and personal goals."

Kicking off a career at such a young age couldn't have been easy, but Seo says his hands-on work early on got him ready.

"Being a teenage activist was a huge period of time when I learned so much more than I could learn in a classroom environment," says the green designer. "Our campaigns were real campaigns led by real teenagers."

Seo chose to break out of the typical mold as he didn't seek to become a doctor or lawyer like many Korean-Americans. But the youngest of three children ― who admits he did poorly in school ― still got his parents' support.

"Even though I was graduating with a D grade point average in high school with zero plans to attend college, they never pressured me to do any better," he said. "I think deep down inside, they knew I was on a mission and that they had little other choice but to support it."

And Seo proved himself fast as his career quickly took off.

By the time he was 25, the eco-guru was the author of four books, had appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and was named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People."

Seo's home is Bucks County, Pa., but today he flies from coast to coast to deliver one message: eco-living can be easy and stylish.

"My simple tip is to think big: think about what you use every day that you can find a more energy-efficient, recycled or natural version of," advises Seo, a vegetarian who drives a hybrid and never buys bottled water.

For example, a good eco-mattress is important because you spend one-third of your life sleeping, and an energy efficient refrigerator makes sense since you have it on 24 hours, he said.

But Seo said even small things matter, such as taking a revolving door when entering building instead of opening one since it prevents heat and cool air from escaping the building.

He said there is still a lot ahead for him to do, but shared one life dream.

"I'd say inspiring others to realize environmental preservation doesn't have to be this overwhelming, daunting thing," said Seo. "It can be very personal."