Quique Diaz
Jewelry Maker
Quique Diaz has toyed with the arts since his early childhood days in Guatemala City. For the past four decades, he has dabbled in the creation of everything from graffiti to percussion instruments. Today he fuses Maori jewelry-making with techniques from his own ancestors - the Mayans - to create a line of jade, bone, wood, and gold to commemorate the traditions of hand-making original heirlooms to pass from generation to generation.
What’s your not-so-green guilty pleasure?
I heat my house. I hate being cold.
What has been your biggest lifestyle change?
I am a vegetarian – I eat no other living animal.
What has been your smallest lifestyle change?
I ride my bike wherever I can. It’s good for the environment and I love the workout.
What's your little green secret?
I don’t smoke. Everybody knows its bad for your health, but I don’t think people realize the impact smoking has on the environment – just look at the sidewalk while you wait for the bus and count the butts, it’s such a waste. I also avoid buying products with excessive packaging – plastic drives me nuts!
What was your green turning point?
I lived in Guatemala City until I was 11 years old. I had learned about the rainforest in school and asked my father to take me but he claimed it was too far. I finally made it when I was 23--my first time back since moving to the United States. It was the most important trip of my life. I’ve been back over twenty times since.
What’s one change you'd like to make?
Get a more fuel efficient car, or just stop going places I can’t ride my bike.
What’s something you hope to pass down to your children?
My knowledge of creating: I’d love to see my daughter practicing the skill of jewelry-making better than me.
Trees are the most important thing to me, I can stare at an amazing tree for hours. They are amazing creatures and deserve respect.
What keeps you up at night?
Besides my neighbor that snores like a bear? I’m very concerned about the protection of our oceans and sharks. The abundant practice of shark finning for shark fin soup disgusts me especially, and I’m worried that not enough is being done to stop it. Also the rainforest – my first love – and that something should be done globally to prevent their destruction…
Who is your green superhero?
John Muir – one of the original green guys.
Which environmental groups and nonprofits get your stamp of approval?
I have a Sea Shepherd bumper sticker on my car and I donate to PETA. I think being an environmentalist or a conservationist requires more than just reducing your carbon footprint – it's being an activist for the earth from which we have taken so much, it’s more than just recycling your plastic, but giving back somehow.
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