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Love them or hate them, politicians have a critical role in taking us towards sustainability. Grist have produced their list of 15 top Green Politicians - but to qualify you had to be an elected rep by the looks of it. So there are some big names missing, in my opinion, including the likes of one of my heroes, Jonathon Porritt in the UK, who left the Green Party, largely out of frustration with the political system, and has ended up as Sustainable Development Commissioner. Good call Jonathon!

Here’s Grist’s top 10.

1. Arnold Schwarzenegger - the ‘Governator’ of California. What a great actor.
2. Wangari Maathai - founder of the Green Belt Movement, member of the Kenyan Parliament and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner. A truly awesome leader.
3. Ken Livingstone - left-wing London mayor known as “Red Ken”, aiming to make his city the greenest in the world. Came from the political ashes after meltdown with Labour.
4. Helen Clark - prime minister of New Zealand, has pledged to make Kiwiland the first carbon-neutral country. Will deserve this rating if she delivers!
5. Marina Silva - Brazil’s environment minister and an avid protector of the Amazon.
6. David Cameron - British Conservative Party leader - nuff said. Less substance than our John Key surely.
7. Peter Garrett - Midnight Oil frontman and Aussie Labour MP and maybe next Minister of the Environment. Let’s hope he finds his voice again if he does.
8. Greg Nickels - Mayor of Seattle.
9. Margot Wallström - Former environment minister of the European Union and current vice president of the European Commission.
10. Stephane Dion - leader of the Canadian Liberal Party.

Bob Brown made it in to the runners’ up. Yay Bob! Awesome Australian senator, the leader and co-founder of the Aussie Green Party.
Grist welcome your comments.

politics