I’m not sure where precisely the heroism lies in this feat, except perhaps in risking life and limb courting danger on the high seas using only environmentally hazardous materials. This is a common theme among those seen as leaders or “heroes” of the environmentalist movement. If they’re not floating down polluted rivers to “raise awareness,” then they’re clinging to (or lying under) massive trees as they fall to the ground. Often the only difference between these people and, say, someone with their lips wrapped around a vehicular exhaust pipe is a little grant money.

Then, there’s the group of environmental heroes in California that wants to suck plastic garbage out of the ocean and transform it into diesel fuel. While this group is only beginning to embark on some reconnaissance ocean-sweeping trips this summer to explore their idea, NASA already has astronauts drinking their own recycled urine in space. I’d say the pee drinkers have the edge this year. But again, NASA is probably a bit too big and successful a brand for the U.N.’s tastes. Sometimes the U.N. likes to combine their two favourite jokes of environmental and foreign policy inaction into one: They recently encouraged Russia to make their 2014 Olympic games environmentally friendly -- making them sign an agreement promising to stick with the plan at risk of a strong tongue-lashing. I’m sure the U.N.’s friends at Amnesty International will be happy to know there’s nothing left to clean up in Russia except the scenery.

The U.N. excels at the art of accomplishing nothing while making the public feel great about it. And if you have the ability to convey that sentiment to the average person, you too could be a U.N. hero.