Former Presidential Candidate & Consumer Advocate
What would life be like in this country without Ralph Nader? Would all the people saved by seatbelts be around? Would our grandchildren be breathing in clean air, or carcinogens? Would renewable energy be the newest catchphrase, or accountable campaign promise? Fortunately, we don’t have to do any more than imagine the unimaginable, thanks to Ralph Nader. Read More >
Nader, America’s foremost "public citizen," has changed the face of big business – often dragging them, kicking and screaming, into the future – and as history has proven – ultimately, to their benefit. Like bad tasting medicine, Nader has sometimes had to force his remedies on corporate America for their own good, (and ours as well). For instance, Ralph actually managed to save GM despite itself by passing legislation which forced the auto industry to ignore the short-term cost and include seat belts as standard. By achieving this, not only did Nader help to save countless lives, he also helped save General Motors from certain lawsuit death – a story famously chronicled in his book, Unsafe at Any Speed.
Honored by Time magazine as "One of the 100 Most Influential Americans of the 20th Century," Ralph Nader continues to fight the good fight in government and in public opinion. Nader helped create the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Due to his zeal, we now have safer drinking water, cleaner air and freedom of information. His citizen groups such as the Public Interest Research Groups flourish on campus and the national stage, striving to protect the public and advance social justice.
Many of Nader's most significant triumphs, including consumer rights, open government and more humane business practices, are fully integrated into our lives. Among his victories are the ideas and commodities we now take for granted: seatbelts, air bags, crash-worthy cars, better labeling on food, lower levels of lead in the environment, smoking awareness, and healthier eating habits. His latest works, Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State and Told You So: The Big Book of Weekly Columns, provide an overview of and solutions to the many problems confronting our society – citing examples from his books in which he de-constructs complex problems and illustrates solutions in very simple and effective language. Nader, along with Steve Skrovan and David Feldman, created a weekly podcast, Ralph Nader Radio Hour, where they discuss the latest news stories as well as interview some of the most influential voices in America.
In his presentations, Nader speaks from the heart with unmatched insider experience, confidence and candor. His speaking style has remained the same as his approach to all things – honest, informed and intimate. Listeners always feel comfortable voicing their concerns and raising questions on the difficult issues this country, and their community, are facing today, and heading into the future. His warnings of yesterday are the realities today, and now as a speaker, he still fights on our behalf – sustaining our country’s safe practices, exposing the unethical, and making sure that no matter what the issue, APB audiences are always the first to know. Read Less ^
Nobody
Solitude in Nature
Gettysburg College 2012 Convocation
From consumer advocate to Presidential candidate, Nader has always had the everyday citizen’s interests in mind, and taken their protection to heart. He has tackled the tough issues over the years on our behalf and successfully addressed them to champion change, like taking on the auto industry and having seat belts put on the standard list of included items on every car, which have been saving lives – and car companies, ever since. Nader has also worked to improve environmental protections, even using the platform of his presidential campaign to speak out on our behalf, touting himself as a member of the Green Party. Read More >
In this presentation, Ralph takes listeners on his 50 year journey as a consumer advocate and insider and is able to create a big picture for the audience of how this country has changed and adapted over the years. He then reveals trends that affected business then, and how these cyclical trends will affect you in the future, as new protections are put in place and policies put into law. Read Less ^
Finally, climate change is overwhelmingly accepted as truth. Not only does this mean that your grandchildren will have a place to live, but also that there will be initiatives and rules put into law that will directly affect the way you do business. With each new breaking technology, with each new law, with each new product or service, we experience a shift in society – in how individuals act, interact, and react. Over the past fifty years, Ralph Nader has witnessed and observed these societal shifts, and noticed how they have created gaps in the marketplace. Read More >
Any organization with foresight can take advantage of these gaps. Part of Nader’s expertise is his ability to provide insight into the huge opportunities they create, like jumping on the “go green” bandwagon which may cost a bit up front, but in the long run increases the positive image of a company, its market opportunities, and its profits. According to Nader, organizations can ignore, fight, or embrace these evolving and increasingly important gap issues, either at the benefit or detriment of the company, their industry and, ultimately, their consumers. In an enlightening presentation, Ralph uses his unique lens on business, government, and society – and the intersections of each – to offer a customized view of potential societal issues and marketplace gaps that, if addressed and pursued, will have a large impact on the future of business and society at large. Read Less ^
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