Art is an important mirror of society, but what if art could be used to help protect our planet by reflecting environmental problems? These GreenHeroes are doing just that, creating an artistic canvas to inspire change.

David Buckland: David, an artist and avid sailor, formed Cape Farewell, and took a boat-full of artists and scientists on a voyage to witness climate change in the High Arctic. Since then David has popularized scientific reports by connecting artists with scientists around the world, including Canadian musician Feist and Yann Martel, author of the Booker prize winning novel Life of Pie. In November 2011, Cape Farwell chose Toronto for its North American launch with former Toronto mayor David Miller as its Chair.

Edward Burtynsky: On a trip to Pennsylvania, Ed stopped by a small coal-mining town and photographed landscapes there, from the pristine to the transformed. This set him on his life’s work capturing great industrial wastelands. His unique photography was showcased in a documentary film called Manufactured Landscapes and he was awarded the Order of Canada in 2006. He is currently working with the Manufactured Landscapes film team on a second documentary entitled, Water.

Jennifer Baichwal: While directing the film Manufactured Landscapes with Ed Burtynsky in China, Jennifer witnessed firsthand the catastrophic strain the industrialized world imposed on the planet. She realized how the production of thousands of seemingly simple products shipped to places like North America from China is creating extremely inhospitable conditions. Through her moving images, Jennifer reveals a world that very few eyes have suffered to witness, urging a shift in consciousness before these barren landscapes become our own.