Robin Greenfield

Greenfield was born and raised in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he and his three siblings were raised by a (non-religious) Jewish{{cite web |last=Greenfield |first=Robin |date=29 November 2023 |title=My Name Is Robin |url=https://www.robingreenfield.org/mynameisrobin/ |website=www.robingreenfield.org |access-date=2023-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221000801/https://www.robingreenfield.org/mynameisrobin/ |archive-date=2023-12-21}} single mother.{{cite web| title=Bike-Riding Do-Gooder Planting Flowers and Picking Up Trash One City at a Time| date=21 October 2013| url=http://shine.yahoo.com/ellen-good-news/bike-riding-do-gooder-planting-flowers-and-picking-up-trash-one-city-at-a-time-214320120.html| publisher=Yahoo! Shine| access-date=14 December 2013}} At the age of 18 he became an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts.

After graduating from Ashland High School in northern Wisconsin, Greenfield attended the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.{{cite journal| title=Eagle Scout's ride across America can inspire your Scouts to stay the course| url=http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2013/10/03/eagle-scouts-ride-across-america-can-inspire-your-scouts-to-stay-the-course/| journal=Scouting Magazine|access-date=14 December 2013| date=2013-10-03}} He traveled to six continents throughout his time in university and upon graduation. In 2011, Greenfield relocated to San Diego, California.

Through his adventures, Greenfield advocates for people to start living a happier, healthier lifestyle,{{cite web |last=Little |first=Joe |date=9 September 2013 |title=Ocean Beach man promises to ride across United States if one-of-a-kind bamboo bicycle returned |url=http://www.10news.com/news/ocean-beach-man-promises-to-ride-across-united-states-if-one-of-a-kind-bamboo-bicycle-returned-09092013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215225810/http://www.10news.com/news/ocean-beach-man-promises-to-ride-across-united-states-if-one-of-a-kind-bamboo-bicycle-returned-09092013 |archive-date=15 December 2013 |access-date=14 December 2013 |publisher=KGTV}} to give back to others, and to live a simple earth-friendly life.

In 2013, Greenfield cycled {{convert|4700|mi}} across America on a bicycle made of bamboo to inspire Americans to live more sustainably.{{cite web |title=Off-Grid Cross-country Cycle |url=http://annual.mountainlifemag.ca/2013/08/cross-country-cycle/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130831020234/http://annual.mountainlifemag.ca/2013/08/cross-country-cycle/ |archive-date=31 August 2013 |access-date=14 December 2013 |publisher=Mountain Life Annual}} On this 104-day ride he used {{convert|160|gal|L}} of water, created {{convert|2|lb|1|spell=in}} of trash, traveled via his own power except for {{convert|1|mi|spell=in}} on a ferry into New York City, plugged into five electrical outlets, and never turned on a light switch.{{cite news |last1=Greenfield |first1=Rob |date=2013-08-16 |title=Cycling across America: lessons in sustainability and happiness |journal=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/cycling-across-america-sustainability-happiness |access-date=14 December 2013}}

On the journey, he carried out multiple campaigns to raise awareness about sustainability and how people can take action. To raise awareness about water waste, he lived off a leaky fire hydrant for five days in New York City.{{cite news| title=Cross-country on a bamboo bike| url=http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Cross-country-on-a-bamboo-bike-4673512.php| newspaper=Connecticut Post| access-date=14 December 2013| date=2013-07-19}} Later he cycled from New York City to Boston during a heat wave living solely on leaky faucets in a campaign called Drip by Drip. About 70 percent of his diet came from dumpsters—he ate more than {{convert|280|lb}} of food from grocery store dumpsters to bring attention to food waste.{{cite web |title=All of environmentalist Rob Greenfield's meals come from trash receptacles behind grocery and convenience stores. |work=TakePart |url=http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/09/17/activist-biking-across-us-and-only-eating-out-dumpsters |access-date=19 December 2014 |publisher=TakePart}}

File:Lessons Learned From a Year without Showering.jpg

From April 2013 to April 2014, Greenfield spent a year bathing only in natural water sources such as rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and in the rain to raise awareness about consumption, water conservation, and living simply.{{cite web |last=Zarrell |first=Rachel |date=30 April 2014 |title=Meet The Guy Who Just Went A Year Without Showering (And Isn't Stopping) |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rachelzarrell/this-guy-just-went-a-year-without-showering-and-isnt-turning |website=BuzzFeed |access-date=4 July 2020}}{{cite news|title=Lessons Learned From a Year Without Showering|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-greenfield/lessons-learned-from-a-ye_b_5200734.html|access-date=21 December 2014|work=The Huffington Post}} He was quoted as saying, "We have to be aware of the origin of the things we consume every day, such as water, food, and energy. In this case I wanted to show how valuable water is and inspire people to conserve and protect it."{{cite news|title=En fotos: el joven que no se ha duchado en un año por una buena causa |trans-title=In photos: The young man who hasn't showered in a year for a good cause |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/video_fotos/2014/05/140505_galeria_rob_greenfield_ducha_agua_medio_ambiente_jg#1|access-date=4 July 2020 |work=BBC.co.uk |language=es}}

Greenfield cycled across the US for the second time in the summer of 2014. In the first half of the ride, he volunteered at nonprofits, planted wildflowers and vegetables along his path, and promoted a healthy and waste-free existence.{{cite news|title=Ashland man biking cross-country to highlight food waste|url=https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/ashland-man-biking-cross-country-to-highlight-food-waste/article_359ea92f-c315-5217-966a-6ec727f01421.html|last=Geyer|first=Allison|date=9 August 2014|access-date=21 December 2014|newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal}} He left home with $2,000 in cash, no credit cards, and upon arrival in Madison, Wisconsin, donated his last $421 to a non-profit. He then vowed to travel without money the rest of the way to New York City and eat solely by dumpster diving at grocery stores and convenience stores to draw attention to and find solutions for food waste.{{cite news|title=Activist fuels his bike tour with dumpster food to call attention to Food Waste Fiascos|url=http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/activist-fuels-his-bicycle-tour-food-dumpsters-call-attention-food-waste-fiascos.html|access-date=21 December 2014|publisher=TreeHugger|last=Markham|first=Derek|date=1 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903201755/http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/activist-fuels-his-bicycle-tour-food-dumpsters-call-attention-food-waste-fiascos.html|archive-date=3 September 2014}}

File:Food Waste Fiasco (15819007150).jpg

He held Food Waste Fiascos in major cities in which the edible food he found in dumpsters was displayed in one spot to show how much of it there is. Greenfield said, {{Quote|The stats are enormous—$165 billion worth of food thrown out each year, or about half of all the food we produce—but it's hard for people to wrap their head around numbers. Seeing a beautiful display of a couple thousand dollars' worth of perfectly good food pulled from dumpsters near them does the trick, though.}}

The purpose of the campaign was to get grocery stores to donate the food they would otherwise throw away.{{cite news|title=Activist dives in dumpsters across the U.S. to highlight food waste|url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-dumpster-diver-20141016-story.html|access-date=21 December 2014|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|last=Semuels|first=Alana|date=15 October 2014}} The primary reason corporations have given for not donating their excess food is the fear of liability if someone gets sick from eating it. The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act shields food donors from liability and a 2013 study by the University of Arkansas School of Law shows there has not been a single case that involved food donation-related liability for a grocery store.{{cite news|title=Dumpster dining: Environmentalist fights food waste|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/31/environmentalist-raises-awareness-about-food-waste/14912301/|access-date=21 December 2014|newspaper=USA Today|last=Wisely|first=John|date=31 August 2014}}

In September 2015, Greenfield embarked on a journey to trek across South America with no money, instead relying on the goodness of others, making money from working, and sleeping rough.{{Cite web |title=Free Ride |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5813156/?ref_=nm_knf_t2 |access-date=April 23, 2022 |website=IMDb}} He had 72 days to cross over 9,000 kilometers. The goal was to attempt to live by Robin’s philosophy that you can travel the world relying on just your ingenuity and the kindness of strangers.{{Cite web |title=Free Ride |url=https://press.discovery.com/uk/dsc/programs/free-ride/ |access-date=April 23, 2022 |website=Discovery Channel}} It was filmed by documentarian James Levelle for Discovery Channel. The mini-series was 6 episodes and aired on Discovery Channel in May 2016.

In October 2016, Greenfield spent a month in New York City wearing all the trash he produced during the month on his body by storing the trash in a suit with clear plastic pockets, designed by trashion designer Nancy Judd.{{cite news |last=Bowerman |first=Mary |date=30 September 2016 |title=Man pledges to wear all the trash he produces for 1 month |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/09/30/man-pledges-wear-all-trash-he-produces-1-month/91317682/ |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=4 July 2020}}{{cite magazine |last=Schmitt |first=Kristen A. |date=14 October 2016 |title=Meet an environmental activist and an artist who share a passion for 'trashion': One man's trash suit is another woman's work of art |magazine=Smithsonian |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/one-mans-trash-suit-another-womans-work-art-180960792/ |access-date=4 July 2020}} It was a visual demonstration of consumerism in the United States and how much trash an individual can create.{{cite web |last=Greenfield |first=Rob |date=27 September 2016 |title=Watch This Man Walk Around NYC Wearing His Trash |url=https://www.ecowatch.com/wear-trash-rob-greenfield-2019080933.html |website=ecowatch.com |access-date=4 July 2020}}

In 2017, Greenfield organized a cross-country bike ride in which the bikers performed good deeds along the way, such as planting fruit trees, volunteering in community gardens, and picking up trash. The group of as many as 48 bikers travelled 3,700 miles from New York City to Seattle.{{Cite web |last=Limmer |first=Julia |date=August 17, 2017 |title=Northport Biker Makes Cross Country Trek |url=http://www.longislandernews.com/life-and-style/northport-biker-makes-cross-country-trek |access-date=May 23, 2022 |website=Long Islander News}}

From November 2018 to November 2019, Greenfield lived in Orlando, Florida and ate only food that he could grow and forage.{{cite news |last=Santich |first=Kate |date=8 November 2019 |title=Orlando's Rob Greenfield survives year of growing, foraging all of his own food |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange-county/os-ne-rob-greenfield-orlando-ends-one-year-growing-food-20191108-527mpcverncmlhn3ri3qrhka5u-story.html |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel |access-date=4 July 2020}}{{cite news |last=Peters |first=Xander |date=3 April 2019 |title=Life according to the Orlando activist who's growing or foraging everything he eats for a year |url=https://www.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/life-according-to-the-orlando-activist-whos-growing-or-foraging-everything-he-eats-for-a-year/Content?oid=24947047 |newspaper=Orlando Weekly |access-date=4 July 2020}}{{cite magazine |last=Schmitt |first=Kristen A. |date=15 March 2019 |title=This man will eat only what he can grow or forage—here's why |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/rob-greenfield-of-orlando-florida-eats-only-what-he-grows-forages |magazine=National Geographic |access-date=4 July 2020}} He grew over 100 different foods in gardens and foraged more than 200 foods from the wild, using skills he learned from local teachers.{{cite web |last=Greenfield |first=Rob |date=19 December 2019 |title=I didn't buy any food for a year—and I'm healthier than I've ever been |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/19/i-didnt-buy-any-food-for-a-year-and-im-healthier-than-ive-ever-been |website=The Guardian |access-date=4 July 2020}} At the same time, he lived in a tiny house (his second—his first was in San Diego) that he built from recycled materials.{{cite news |last=Hanes |first=Kristen |date=18 March 2019 |title=Florida environmentalist builds his own tiny house for $1,500 |url=https://www.sfgate.com/expensive-san-francisco/article/Florida-environmentalist-builds-his-own-tiny-13697477.php |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=4 July 2020}}{{cite web |last=Gander |first=Kashmira |date=16 December 2019 |title=What Environmentalist Rob Greenfield Learned From Foraging and Growing All His Food for a Year in Orlando, Florida |url=https://www.newsweek.com/what-environmentalist-rob-greenfield-learned-foraging-growing-all-his-food-year-orlando-1476489 |website=Newsweek |access-date=4 July 2020}}

In 2020, Greenfield toured Europe as part of his "World Solutions Tour".{{cite web |last=Collins |first=Jennifer |date=16 March 2020 |title=Meet Rob Greenfield, aspiring millionaire turned radical environmental activist |url=https://www.dw.com/en/meet-rob-greenfield-aspiring-millionaire-turned-radical-environmental-activist/a-52796338 |website=Deutsche Welle |access-date=4 July 2020}}

Greenfield focuses on sustainable living. He travels barefoot, and mostly by bicycle. He doesn't have credit cards or a retirement account and doesn't own a car. What allowed him to live in this manner is giving up the desire to be wealthy.

He aims to live a life that is beneficial to the Earth, to the community and self and aims to "lead by example and live it out loud".{{cite news|title=Cycling across the country barefoot in search of a simpler life |url=http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/stories/cycling-across-the-country-barefoot-in-search-of-a-simpler-life|work=Mother Nature Network|last=Gill|first=Enrique|access-date=21 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712012837/http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/stories/cycling-across-the-country-barefoot-in-search-of-a-simpler-life|archive-date=12 July 2014}}

Greenfield doesn't have a cellphone since January 2015{{Cite web |last=Greenfield |first=Rob |date=2015-08-27 |title=Why I Got Rid of My Cell Phone |url=https://www.robgreenfield.org/cellphone/ |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=www.robgreenfield.org |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020004634/https://www.robgreenfield.org/cellphone/ |archive-date=2020-10-20}} and doesn't own a car since 2011.{{Cite web |last=Greenfield |first=Rob |date=2015-07-14 |title=Selling My Car… Bought My Freedom |url=https://www.robgreenfield.org/carfree/ |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=www.robgreenfield.org |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025114033/https://www.robgreenfield.org/carfree/ |archive-date=2020-10-25}} In 2020 he had 44 possessions.{{Cite web |last=Greenfield |first=Rob |date=2020-02-28 |title=My 44 Possessions: Everything I Own Fits in My Backpack |url=https://www.robgreenfield.org/44possessions/ |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=www.robgreenfield.org |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014171643/https://www.robgreenfield.org/44possessions/ |archive-date=2020-10-14}}

Greenfield stated that Mark Boyle's books changed his life.{{Cite web |last=Greenfield |first=Rob |date=2016-03-02 |title=Mark Boyle's Books Changed My Life |url=https://www.robgreenfield.org/markboyle/ |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=www.robgreenfield.org |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127005128/https://www.robgreenfield.org/markboyle/ |archive-date=2020-11-27}}

He got a vasectomy at 25 because among other reasons he doesn't support the pharmaceutical industry and doesn't want women subjected to the hormones of birth control.{{Cite web |last=Greenfield |first=Rob |date=2014-04-29 |title=Why I got a Vasectomy... at age 25. |url=https://www.robgreenfield.org/why-i-got-a-vasectomy/ |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=www.robgreenfield.org |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007225252/https://www.robgreenfield.org/why-i-got-a-vasectomy/ |archive-date=2020-10-07}} He is founder of Community Fruit Trees, Free Seed Project, and Gardens for the People. He has vowed to earn less than the federal poverty threshold each year, donates 100% of his media income to grassroots non-profits, and his financial net worth is kept to a bare minimum.

• {{cite book |last=Greenfield |first=Robin |date=2016 |title=Dude Making a Difference: Bamboo Bikes, Dumpster Dives and Other Extreme Adventures Across America |location=Gabriola Island, BC |publisher=New Society Publishers |isbn=9780865718074}}
• {{Cite book |last=Greenfield |first=Robin |title=Zero Waste Kids: Hands-On Projects and Activities to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle |location=Beverly, MA |publisher=Quarry Books, The Quarto Group |year=2022 |isbn=9781631599415}}
• {{Cite book |last1=Greenfield |first1=Robin |title=Be the Change: Robin Greenfield's Call to Kids—Making a Difference in a Messed-Up World |last2=Banyard |first2=Antonia |location=Vancouver |publisher=Greystone Books |year=2022 |isbn=9781771645935}}
• {{Cite book |last=Greenfield |first=Robin |title=Food Freedom: A Year of Growing and Foraging 100% of My Food |publisher=Robin Press |year=2024 |isbn=9798350732283}}

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• {{Official website}}

{{Simple living}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1986 births

Category:Activists from San Diego

Category:People from Ashland, Wisconsin

Category:University of Wisconsin–La Crosse alumni

Category:21st-century American businesspeople

Category:Simple living advocates

Category:American environmentalists

Category:American nomads

Category:American male non-fiction writers

Category:21st-century American male writers

Category:Environmental writers

Category:American people of Jewish descent

Category:American tax resisters