From NBA champions to Germany's strongest man, plant-powered sportspeople are proving animal proteins are overrated. Professional race car driver,
, joins the rank of these ethically elite athletes.
Munter has big plans for her time on the track, and hopes to engage millions of fans about the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet. "My next race car we are raising funds for now is a Fueled by Veggies race car that will have fruits and vegetables all over it and will be calling to action race fans to try Meatless Mondays."
. We need to help people understand that the food on their dinner plates has a big effect on their carbon footprint."
Münter is well known for speaking out about environmental issues. She blogs in the green section of the Huffington Post and is very active in the fight for environmental legislation. In 2010, she was named by Discovery Channel's Planet Green Network as the #1 Eco Athlete in the world, beating out Lance Armstrong for the top spot. She was also featured in a series called Fast Forward on Planet Green Network, which highlights environmental heroes. Glamour Magazine named her one of their "Eco Heroes."
In 2006, Münter started a section on her racing website dedicated to environmental news. She now hosts an eco-site called Carbon Free Girl, where she documents her efforts to become carbon neutral and discusses environmental issues and clean energy. She also has a blog where she is known to speak out about green issues. In 2007, Münter made the commitment to adopt an acre of endangered tropical rainforest for protection from World Land Trust to offset her carbon footprint from the race.
In March 2008 Münter went to Capitol Hill with the National Wildlife Federation to speak with members of Congress on behalf of the Climate Security Act. During her visit SenatorElizabeth Dole called Münter "a woman on a mission." That summer, Münter spoke at a rally in Capitol Hill alongside Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator John Kerry, and Senator Joe Lieberman in support of the Climate Security Act. When asked to comment on her environmental activities, Frank O'Donnell (President of the Clean Air Watch) told the Washington Post "I thing it's a fantastic thing."
The Indy Car Series runs on 100% ethanol and Münter has talked on her blog about the need for NASCAR to make the switch to a renewable clean energy source. Münter graduated from the University of California San Diego where she earned a Bachelors Degree in Biology specializing in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution. She is also a long time vegetarian.[2][3]
In February 2009 Münter climbed to the top of a wind turbine at Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Abilene, Texas and autographed one of the blades. The turbine was consequently nicknamed "Leilani" by its owner, NextEra Energy Resources. Later that same year, Münter signed a solar panel at NextEra Energy's SEGS in the Mojave Desert, the largest solar thermal energy center in the world.
Also in February 2009 Münter met musician Jack Johnson, who later that same year gave Münter permission to use his music with her slideshow about her mission to bring environmental awareness to the racing world.View Leilani's Eco Slideshow with music by Jack Johnson
Münter spoke on a panel discussion on creative activism with actress Daryl Hannah at Powershift 2009 in Washington, D.C.
In May 2009 Münter went to Norway to participate in the zero emission Viking Rally, driving a hydrogen fuel cell Ford Focus which has only harmless emissions of water and heat. Münter finished second in the hill-climb, just behind World Rally driver Hennig Solberg. Münter drank the water from the exhaust of the vehicle at the 24th annual Electric, Fuel Cell and Hybrid Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition in Stavanger, Norway. In December 2009, Münter tested at Daytona International Speedway in the ARCA Series and she was 7th quickest in practice alongside Danica Patrick who was 5th quickest in practice even though she was with a team that did not have the financial backing that Patrick's team had. At the Daytona test, she was driving for the largest renewable energy company in the United States, NextEra Energy Resources.
In the February 2010 race, Münter was one of only three women to qualify for the race on speed alongside Danica Patrick and Alli Owens. Münter was driving the first ever 100% eco sponsored race car at Daytona International Speedway, and was taken out in "the big one" when a driver spun coming out of turn two and collected ten race cars, including Münter's #59 eco race car. Later in 2010, Münter was named by Discovery Channel's Planet Green Network as the #1 Eco Athlete; Lance Armstrong was rated #5. She was also featured in the new TV series Fast Forward on Planet Green, which profiled her environmental efforts in racing. In February 2010, she
Münter was one of the first celebrity activists to visit the BP Oil Spill; she arrived in Venice, Louisiana on May 2, ten days after the Deepwater Horizon sank to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, the same day President Barack Obama arrived. She spent a week at the spill, documenting her experience there. On July 13, 2010, Münter returned and toured the oil-stained areas of Louisiana devastated by the BP Oil Spill as part of a Sierra Club sponsored event involving 10 current and former athletes which included tennis star Chanda Rubin, Olympic skier Stacey Cook and NFL stars Ovie Mughelli and Mike Alstott.[4]
In 2010, Münter became involved in the fight against the dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan and became a volunteer for Save Japan Dolphins. She has said publicly that immediately after watching the Academy Award winning documentary The Cove, that the first words out of her mouth when the movie ended to her husband was, "We have to go to Taiji and help Ric end this." Within a year, on September 2, 2010 Münter stood in Tokyo, next to dolphin activist Ric O'Barry who is featured in the movie, to deliver a petition signed by 1.7 million people from 151 countries asking for the dolphin slaughter to end. She returned to Taiji, Japan again for two weeks in October 2010 and documented two dolphin slaughters while she was there. She has stated she will continue to return to The Cove until the slaughter has ended. Münter recorded a video from Taiji for the project One Day on Earth on 10/10/10. She returned to Taiji in September 2011 with world renowned dolphin activist Ric O'Barry and was trapped in Typhoon Talas and had to live without access to water for several days, which she later attributed to helping her understand water stress issues around the world in a much deeper way than she did when she was an environmental activist talking about it, but never having lived through it. She recorded the first dolphin slaughter of the 2011/2012 hunting season on September 7, 2011 which was a pod of Risso's dolphinsincluding a mother and her baby which Münter caught on camera.
On January 3, 2012 Münter announced that she was raising funds to drive a "The Cove" themed race car at Daytona International Speedway on February 18 to draw attention to dolphin captivity and slaughter.
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