Van Jones gave the final keynote of the Netroots Nation conference. It was at once funny and ferocious. He has a magnificent presence and his keynote was masterful. Jones, an environmental activist, champions  development of the green economy, while leveraging it as a means for social and economic justice in the United States.

Recycling is good. Reducing is better.

Mayor Gavin Newsom gave Jones a glowing introduction, in which he also touted San Francisco’s enivornmental efforts and accomplishments: 70% of all our waste is recycled, with a city wide goal of 100% by 2015. The city has recently instituted policies like banning cheapo plastic shopping bags and a city government ban on purchases of bottled water. Powerful examples of how cities can lead the environmental movement, and people do not have to wait for the Federal government to act in order to start making battling waste and climate change.

Van Jones takes that mindset to the next level by adding to the mix the idea of a Clean Energy Job Corps - really, a way to affect social justice and bring the economic benefits of the blossoming green economy to a segment of our society and economy that is often overlooked and underemployed.

One key lesson I took away from both of their talks was the idea that collectively we can make radical changes to our own behavior and thus to our society, economy, and world, and we can do so in a way that enriches, rather than harms, our lives individually.

One small personal example: Last year I bought a non-disposable plastic water bottle. The idea was to have a permanent, portable water container - good for home, commute, office, and gym. It worked. Until a coworker schooled me on the horrendous side effects of some plastics - including especially the “No. 7″ plastic my Nalgene bottle was made of. Turns out, not such a great idea. In fact, a bad idea. Very Bad. I read up and decided that an unlined stainless steel canister would be the best replacement. So I got one, and recycled my old nastic one.

The new bottle ($15 Kleen Canteen) is awesome: Works with cold & hot liquids, easy to clean and drink out of, no toxins leeching into my agua. It is lightweight. I take it almost everywhere with me (including to Austin), and as a consequence I almost never use disposable plastic water bottles anymore.

This, of course, is a much humbler endeavor than the grand and hope-inspiring efforts Jones set forth. But every little bit we contribute helps. And I’ll keep trying and keep improving every day.