User:Lumeigpo/sandbox/Ignacio Barsottelli

Ignacio Barsottelli is an Argentinian-born American, environmental educator and activist, producer, businessman and philanthropist. Founder of the environmental nonprofit organizations Mercy for Earth and Yo Limpio a Puerto Rico, which means "I Clean Puerto Rico".

Yo Limpio a Puerto Rico (YLPR) programs include both calls to action and educational campaigns. Chapters have been founded in other countries including Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, the United States (as Yo Limpio America, meaning "I Clean America"), and Venezuela.

As an international environmental consultant and public speaker on behalf of industry groups, he has consulted for companies such as Authority Solid Waste of Puerto Rico, CEMEX, Green Works, Heineken, Johnson & Johnson, Kiehl's, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Toyota Foundation, Unilever, Univision, and Wal-Mart, among others.

These organizations are supported by celebrities, including Oscar winner Benicio del Toro and Grammy winners Robi Draco Rosa, Residente Calle 13 and Daddy Yankee, who serve as spokespeople for their education campaigns.

Drawing on the success of YLPR and YLA, Barsottelli founded the organization Mercy for Earth, with the purpose to serve as the umbrella organization. Mercy for Earth's position is that the only way to make collective changes around the world is through environmental education.

Early years
After the death of Barsottelli's father, he took over the business devoted to woodworking, looking for burnt wood in El Bolsón that was obtained after fires due to large tracts of forest. His indignation caused him to start sending information to Greenpeace about the forests burning in Patagonia. At the age of eighteen, Barsottelli started working as a volunteer with Greenpeace, doing radical protest activism against whaling in Puerto Madryn, Argentina.

In 1994, Ignacio Barsottelli presented an ecological waste management project in the city of Mar del Plata under the name "Barsottelli Investments". This was approved by the city council of the municipality of General Pueyrredón.

Yo Limpio a Puerto Rico
In 1996, Ignacio Barsottelli moved to Puerto Rico, falling in love with the ecosystems of this island. He then discovers that the beaches and public areas had problems with rubbish. This led him to devote his free time to walk on the beaches delivering bags and spreading public awareness of the importance of maintaining the ecosystems garbage free. Barsottelli began to assist the country in their struggle to keep their land and bodies of water clean and free of waste. His mission was to raise awareness, educate and mobilize the children and youth with the support of nonprofits and corporations for the cleaning and maintenance of water bodies and green areas that were used as landfills. In 1997, the environmental organization Yo Limpio a Puerto Rico was born.

Since then YLPR has been working in transforming the bad habits of pollution, misuse of natural resources and taking care of the environment. Implementing programs related to Environmental Education for more than 3,900 teachers under the educational campaign “Educators to the Rescue of the Environment” and 750 police with environmental education workshops. Managing and mobilizing more than 80,000 children in activities supporting the environment.

Some of the most important cleaning ups in Natural Reserves were: the Natural Reserve of Laguna Tortuguero, Río Grande de Loíza and the Indian River in Vega Baja.

Environmental Career
As an international environmental consulting and public speaker on behalf of industry groups, he consults and creates alliances between companies such as Authority Solid Waste, CEMEX, Green Works, Heineken, Johnson & Johnson – Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals, Kielh's, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Toyota Foundation, Unilever, Univision, Wal-Mart, among others.

Barsottelli has created environmental educational programs and activities providing solutions for waste management, contamination and pollution, creating awareness and mobilizing the population in favor of better care of the environment. Working with thousands of volunteer, cleaning contaminated areas and implement conservation plans in different countries in America (Dominican Republic, Venezuela, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, and Unites States).

He received the support of private enterprise and government agencies to develop campaigns for the environment such as “Una Isla Limpia es una Isla Saludable” (A Cleaner Island is an healthier Island) and sponsored by Triple S, Recycling Campaign “Tómatelo en Serio, Recicla por Puerto Rico” (Take it Serious, Recycle for Puerto Rico), whose principal spokesman for the campaign was Daddy Yankee and was sponsored by Pepsico. In summer 2009, “Yo Limpio a PR” started the campaign "Yo Limpio a Puerto Rico con FURA de Costa a Costa" ("I Clean up Puerto Rico with FURA from Coast to Coast"), cleaning from coast to coast of the beaches around the island along with the Police of Puerto Rico, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and National Parks Company.

Barsottelli produces environmental educational TV series, PSA's and publicity campaigns under "Artists to the rescue of the Environment" which began with the support of Benicio del Toro, Daddy Yankee, Residente Calle 13, Tego Calderón, among over other twenty celebrities, including Oscar and Grammy winners, creating strategic media campaigns across 12 countries in Latin America with the mission of educating the community about their responsibilities and obligations with nature.

In May 24, 2015 Mercy for Earth officially became a 501c-3 nonprofit environmental organization, with the purpose to serve as the umbrella for YLPR and YLA. Mercy for Earth seeks to increase public awareness, educate and mobilize the community by understanding environmental issues through research, the media and educational programs.

Relevant Work and Awards

 * Excellence Award in 2002 U.S. EPA Environmental Quality Award, granted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Recognizing the seriousness of Puerto Rico's solid waste problems, Mr. Barsottelli founded the nonprofit Yo Limpio A Puerto Rico (I Clean Puerto Rico). Barsottelli created environmental education programs and activities that provide solutions for waste management, bolstering public awareness about the importance of recycling. Because of his work with thousands of volunteers to clean areas and create conservation projects for these areas. Also for creating public awareness campaigns to remind people of their responsibility to take care of the natural systems in which they live.
 * As a member of the Green Building Council Association, is the creator and promoter of the Green Capitol project, which aims to drive improvements in the House of laws and changes in its maintenance by reducing costs in basic utility bills, and the same time conserving the environment.
 * Environmental Award for Best Environmental Educational Campaign. For his achievements in the educational campaign "Yo Limpio a Puerto Rico". Given by the Environmental Quality Board (La Junta de Calidad Ambiental). 1999/2000/2001
 * Recognition as the Protector of Nature Reserves 2005 USFS, U.S. Forest Service of the United States.