Maathai is known for the holistic nature of her work. She was an environmentalist but also worked on civil rights, democracy, education and poverty. All these things weave together. You cannot protect the natural world without confronting the threats to it. That means engaging in politics. For that you need to teach people about their rights and the government’s responsibilities. To be effective in using those rights, you need people who are literate and articulate and confident in holding the authorities to account, which leads you into education. There is no green silo for environmental issues.