American Express and TakePart® Announce 2010 Members Project®.

Yvon Chouinard is my idol. I’ve blogged him and his independent, pioneering company Patagonia, and written him up in our days as a magazine, maybe 40 times over the past 7.5 years I’ve been running elephant.

“It’s a selfish thing to want to protect nature.” Love it. He’s someone who can communicate beyond the choir and to the masses. While I wish he’d step up once again and do for Made in the USA what he did for organic cotton in the 90s, he still ranks right up there, in my experience, with my Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa and a few others who have dedicated their lives to the greater, common good.

So I’m psyched to see him and his vision given some first-tier love during the Oscars, last night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlaYJhLylzw With thanks for the tip to the mysterious Yogadork his or herself!

Bonus videos re the Amex campaign:

Cardmember Geoffrey Canada, a social activist, educator and president/CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone, and Merchant Member Yvon Chouinard, an environmentalist, outdoor industry entrepreneur and founder/owner of Patagonia share their inspirational stories of the continuous steps one takes to protect and nurture what they love. (Video: Business Wire)

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American Express premiered two television spots during the 82nd Academy Awards broadcast on March 7th on ABC to help kick off Members Project and inspire people across the country to do their part to make a positive impact.

American Express has engaged two dynamic philanthropists Cardmember Geoffrey Canada, a social activist, educator and president and CEO of the Harlem Childrens Zone, and Merchant Member Yvon Chouinard, an environmentalist, outdoor industry entrepreneur and founder/owner of Patagonia — to nationally televise their inspirational stories of the continuous steps one takes to protect and nurture what they love. For Geoffrey Canada, this love is revitalization of the Harlem community to better the lives of neighborhood children and for Yvon Chouinard, his love is preserving the environment. Canada and Chouinard will also be featured online, with extended, inspiring stories in digital video content on TakePart.com/MembersProject and other select sites.