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« Fire retardants in falcons | Main | Cheatsheet: volatile organic compounds »

May 13, 2008

Going for the Gold

EWG social media intern Akua was lucky enough to score a ticket to the Goldman Environmental Prize ceremony -- these are her thoughts.

This year’s Goldman Environmental Prizes were awarded to 7 outstanding individuals from across the globe. A secret group of over 150 environmental experts selected the 7 courageous people from the 6 continental regions of the world and presented each with a $150,000 prize. The annual ceremony ensures that the work of everyday citizens to enact positive change does not go unnoticed.

Marina Rikhvanova is working to protect Lake Baikal, the world’s largest source of freshwater. Affectionately called the Galapagos of Russia, it holds roughly 20% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater and is home to numerous diverse species not found elsewhere in the world. She has rallied the people to stand up to the government and fight against plans to create a petroleum pipeline and an uranium enrichment plant near the watershed.

Ignace Schops raised over $90 million to build Belgium’s first and only national park. While entrance to the park is free, the 6,000 hectare land is projected to bring over $48 million a year in revenue for the region.

Despite death threats and the murder of a family member, Luis Yanza and Pablo Fajardo continue to organize the 30,000 members of their northern Ecuadorian Amazon region to file a class action lawsuit against Texaco to clean up the chemical waste (created by oil mining) that the company dumped in the region. The people of the region would be entitled to receive from $8.3 to $16 billion at the end of the trial.

Feliciano Dos Santos uses his creativity and passion for music to spread the message of sanitation and proper waste management in a way that is positively impacting many lives in Mozambique.

Jesús León Santos began a reforestation program in his nation of Mexico to combat soil damaged by climate change. This activity has converted infertile land into arable land suitable for agriculture.

Rosa Hilda Ramos from Puerto Rico led the people of her nation to hold the local industries accountable for the high incidence of respiratory disease amongst the population and enact legislation to halt the air pollution.

The remarkable work done by this year’s winners is a great example of how much power each of us has to make a difference in the world around us.

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