Joseph Malki of Seven Star is the Founder of Green Cities™, and from my brief meeting with him it’s easy to see he has big ideas about bringing the green movement to cities and homes across the world. I was amazed at how deeply he understood the core issues of the green movement, and how he applied them in a way that was agreeable to both right and left political leanings.

For me, this was a breath of fresh air. Often when in a green convention, you’re likely to meet a huge mass of straight-ticket voters who hold the party line no matter what. Joseph Malki seemed pleased to rock the boat a little in revealing that he was a self-proclaimed radical green Republican. It was startling for a minute, and then it made sense. In order for the green movement to stick, it needs to have firm supporters on both sides of the aisle. Joseph Malki could be that guy.

Joseph talked to us about the science of sustainability, and made the point that business and government aren’t cooperating on green initiatives in a meaningful way. Joseph argued that green was turned into an ideology by progressives, activists, and the political left. He cited numerous instances where green initiatives turned out to be disasters, namely biofuel and CFL life-cycle risk-assessment.

It all makes sense to me. Creating meaningful change with this momentum requires a scientific, codified approach if we want it to last longer than the current administration. Joseph Malki may represent the future generation of green conservatives, or even the green movement as a whole.

-by Nate Kharrl of ecofactory