Ralph Nader
What it takes to create social change against all odds
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About Ralph Nader
As an author, lecturer, attorney, and political activist, Ralph Nader’s life-long work and advocacy have enhanced public awareness and increased government and corporate accountability. Ralph’s work has inspired a generation of consumer advocates, citizen activists, and public interest lawyers. His analyses and advocacy has led to safer cars, healthier food, safer drugs, cleaner air and drinking water, and safer work environments. In 2006, The Atlantic named Ralph one of the one hundred most influential figures in American history. TIME Magazine has called him the “U.S.’s toughest customer,” and in 1974, a U.S. News and World Report survey rated Ralph as the fourth most influential person in the United States. Ralph’s organizations include the Center for Study of Responsive Law, the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), the Center for Auto Safety, Public Citizen, Clean Water Action Project, the Disability Rights Center, the Pension Rights Center, the Project for Corporate Responsibility and The Multinational Monitor. His newest project: the American Museum of Tort Law in Winsted, Connecticut is the first law museum in America.
Find out moreAbout This Talk
It is impossible to think about environmental advocacy today without remembering what brought us here. For decades, Consumer Advocate Ralph Nader has been identifying corporate misdeeds, galvanizing public action, and guiding regulatory action to build a safer and healthier world. From taking on the automobile industry by vying for improved safety features for passengers - like mandatory seat belts - to tobacco regulations, The Clean Air Act, and more, Ralph's efforts have fundamentally shaped legislature over the past decades. He firmly believes that each of us can be advocates for a cleaner environment and a consumer focused economy because lawmakers and representatives will always need votes more than they need corporate dollars. He inspires us to break through power structures and embrace democracy to take citizen action towards a safer world.
Through years of organizing, advocacy, and activism, Ralph shares that citizens truly can move legislation forward. Watch Ralph's TEDMED 2020 Talk "What it takes to create social change against all odds" to learn how each of us can be a champion for consumer rights and a clean, safe future.
Through years of organizing, advocacy, and activism, Ralph shares that citizens truly can move legislation forward. Watch Ralph's TEDMED 2020 Talk "What it takes to create social change against all odds" to learn how each of us can be a champion for consumer rights and a clean, safe future.