Name: Matthew Kearns
Location: North Babylon, New York
Contribution: Offshore wind energy activist, former member of the Sierra Club Long Island Group's executive committee, long-distance runner

How did you come up with the idea to run the length of Long Island last summer to promote offshore wind energy?

When volunteers ask what they can do, we say, "Whatever your talent is." I'd been working on offshore wind issues for a year, and when I asked myself that question, the answer was "I can run far. How can that fit in?" Long Island is spread out. Its different communities are isolated. One wind energy site is at the island's tip; another is 100 miles west near Long Beach. I thought, "How to connect the dots? I can physically do that!" People cheered me along the way, and the Sierra Club hosted a rally and concert at the Long Beach Boardwalk at the end.

How did people react to your run?

It was a great icebreaker, making people more willing to embrace a different approach to energy. And it got the wind energy issue a lot of media attention.

Have locals' views on environmental issues changed since Superstorm Sandy?

Sandy was a tipping point. Residents realized how vulnerable we are. We're two years out and still rebuilding.

What do you tell an everyday Long Islander who is only casually concerned about the environment?

That it's not enough just to acknowledge climate change. We have to put things into action, like investments in renewable energy. 

In December, the Long Island Power Authority rejected a proposed wind energy facility off Montauk Point. Is that frustrating?

It's disappointing, but I'm still optimistic about wind power on Long Island. The effort got people engaged. Now we know there's a lot of will, and we've got a lot of allies.

What issue are you working on now?

We're trying to get the governors of New York and New Jersey to veto a proposed liquefied natural gas import terminal in the waters off Long Island. LNG is highly volatile and presents hazards to the coastline, and the terminal could easily be converted into an export facility, increasing the incentive for more fracking in the Northeast. 

You've worked as an energy auditor. How has that affected your environmental views?

Next to Hawaii, Long Island has the most expensive energy rates in the country. It makes all of us very aware of our energy use. 

What's your favorite natural spot on Long Island?

The Central Pine Barrens out east. I like to take long runs in the woods there. You can almost get lost. 

What's something about Long Island that outsiders may not know?

We're fiercely independent. Long Islanders have a sense of pride in their coastline and are willing to protect it.