Eric Moncrief has a vision for a more sustainable Atlanta, and he’s broadcasting it every week

STORY: Jodi Cash
PHOTO: Stephen Payne

Old Fourth Ward resident Eric Moncrief wasn’t always an evangelist for the environment. But when a career in tech led him to a position at an electronics recycling company, his path took a new turn.

A friend launched a project called Survival Radio Network and needed someone to host a show about the environment. Knowing that Moncrief worked in recycling, he approached him about the job. “He convinced me, and I started doing a podcast out of my basement about environmental issues,” says Moncrief.

He called the new show The Green Guy, and he took this identity seriously. He plugged into sustainability organizations around the city. He met more and more experts in the field and invited them to be on the show. With so many bright minds in the sustainability space connected, Moncrief began to develop his own point of view and renewed vision: to get Atlantans interested in the environment.

Sustainability can be a divisive political topic, but Moncrief wants people to understand that these pressing issues affect all living things. It’s not a matter of choosing a side on the party aisle; it’s about ensuring that citizens have what they need to survive. He wants people to get energized about protecting the environment before it’s too late.

“People may say, ‘Well, I’m not into all that.’ But it’s here. You don’t even have to acknowledge it, but you’re part of it. If you’re drinking water, you’re part of this whole thing. We all want clean water, right? Those are the basics for human life. If our water supply was to dry up in the city of Atlanta, then you’d see a lot of people real concerned about water.”

Moncrief has three criteria when choosing who will speak on his show. “I want people to say, after listening, ‘I didn’t know that. That was cool. How do I get involved?’” he says. “Then we’ve educated people; we’ve broadened their horizons a little bit more. And maybe we’ve inspired them to do something positive.” The guests who meet that criteria range from urban farmers to politicians to professors, but the show gives actionable advice for all citizens.

Moncrief is proud to see the strides Atlanta has made as an environmentally conscientious city, and he’s particularly aware of individuals and companies going above and beyond to make the city greener. Every day, he gets joy from watching people make use of things such as the Belt- Line and other green spaces around town. He hopes his platform encourages people to do more and shines a light on the people who are pushing the sustainability status quo.

“There are so many people who are doing so many great things,” he says. “I just try to make my show a platform for these people to come on and share what they’re doing to impact our world. We need to make the platform as big as possible so that people hear and get involved. That’s how things change. If you knew better, you’d do better, right?”

Tune into The Green Guy every Sunday from 9 to 10 a.m. on WGST 640AM /iHeart Radio. greenguymedia.com