Conscious Choice: Conversations: Simply Seo

November 2007 | Conversations

Conversations: Simply Seo

By Ritzy Ryciak

They used to call Danny Seo the “Green Martha Stewart.” But now that even Martha has gone a little greener, Seo is setting his sights on the biggest brand name of them all. “I want to be the Asian-Eco-Oprah!” laughs the 30-year-old green lifestyle expert, only half in jest.

Born on Earth Day, Seo comes by his eco-ambition honestly. A bit of a planetary prodigy, by age 12 he had founded the environmental youth organization Earth 2000 — managing to turn it into the largest teen activist charity in the country by the time he was 18. Almost two decades later, Seo has yet to lose his momentum, greening Regis and Kelly one day, sharing tips as the resident eco-expert on The CBS Early Show the next, guest-editing Elle magazine’s Green Issue — even swapping sustainability tips with television’s reigning lifestyle empress, The Big O herself.

Named one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People,” Seo supplements his TV circuit with eco-consulting to the stars, and his Simply Green bestselling series of how-to books, including latest additions: Simply Green Parties and Simply Green Giving. We caught up with him at a Seattle launch party for Method, the non-toxic home and personal care products line for “people against dirty.” New partners, Seo and Method joined forces to help spread (or spray) the word on better — and sweeter smelling — ways to live greener and cleaner. Amidst cucumber-scented hand soap and lemon ginger floor cleaner, he took some time to share what’s new in his world.

Tell me more about your new mantra, “do just one thing.” Is there a particular one thing you recommend for people trying to incorporate sustainable practices into their daily lives?

Just One Thing is a one-a-day calendar for 2008 with concrete things to do that add up to make a real difference. They are substantive, practical things. Choose a hybrid, for example — that’s a great thing to do, but a lot of people can’t just go out and do that. I like the winter “draft-dodger” tip [that everyone can do]: get a long tube sock, fill it up with pebbles and put it along the edges of a drafty window.

As someone who began defending the planet before you entered puberty, how did your care for the planet develop? Was it one experience, a family member?

How do you know I hadn’t gone through puberty yet? [laughing].

Earth Day is my birthday. It’s definitely an interesting holiday. When your birthday is celebrated by gloom and doom, you can’t help but want to do things to fix it.

How do you connect to nature? Where do you go to experience what you’re working so hard to protect?

I live in the woods, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I am surrounded by state park land. The Delaware River runs below my home and the woods are behind me. It is my little Walden. It is the only place I can concentrate on projects and books. My favorite time is late at night. It is so pitch black and whisper quiet — it is privilege. I think that total quiet is the new luxury because we are so inundated by noise.

Is the “green thing” just a passing fad?

No. It is a cultural shift. Unfortunately, a lot of people associate popularity as trendy, but this is a natural shift for where society has to go. It is not about sacrificing anything. There are more choices. That’s why Method is one of my partners. I think they do a great job of marrying style and sustainability. It sounds easy, but it isn’t. Very few brands have done it.

What reading is on your bedside table?

There are no books in the bedroom. I don’t have distractions in there.

But right now, I am proofing the new Method book, and I just bought all of Banana Republic’s archives from when they were the Safari Company. I like the idea of tracking the history of different brands, the organic history of a company. Going back to when they were just a husband and wife team with this idea — I find that fascinating. I am also reading a 1950’s children’s book on crafts for kids. It is really creative and imaginative. The book comes from a time when kids had more time to do crafts, and they had to be more resourceful. I like the idea of working and learning and creating something out of nothing.

What keeps you up at night?

Caffeine. [Laughing] That is the literal answer. Or if I am working on a really interesting project. I remember one time I made a briefcase entirely out of old leather belts. I was so excited to see the end product that I stayed up all night to finish it. When you have so much enthusiasm for something, it is hard to sleep when you know you’re hours away from finishing.

What keeps you focused, motivated and hopeful?

I love getting emails from people who use a project or an idea and then tell me what they think. Getting great feedback is useful, but so is getting negative feedback. I love the fact that my work is getting people talking and thinking.

Who’s on your dream presidential ticket for 2008?

I made a donation to the Hillary campaign. I am a Hillary supporter, but they are going to lose my vote because they keep calling me for more money. It is annoying.

What are some of the most exciting ideas/businesses/people on your radar right now?

I think we are going to see some great innovations in lighting. LED lightbulbs are really the next wave. I drove the prototype hydrogen-powered BMW a few weeks ago. The emission result is water coming out of the tail pipe — they said you could drink it! I drove a two million dollar car without knowing it. They didn’t tell me! We were in San Francisco and they said, “just parallel park.” There were so many gadgets and gizmos; I am used to driving a Hyundai.

What question do you wish our readers would ask themselves?

A lot of people think they need someone else to tell them what the solution is. I think people need to be more intuitive. When you use bleach — you know it’s bad. I think we all know when we do something wrong, but we choose to ignore that little voice in our heard.

What is your life’s theme song?

These are hard questions! I am such a practical person. I am not a Tony Robbins kind of person! If I had to choose a theme song, I guess I choose whatever Oprah’s theme song is. I want to be the Asian-Eco-Oprah!

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