It is perhaps the most prominent and prestigious annual award granted to recognize locally-focused, grassroots environmental activism. Since its inception in 1990, the Goldman Prize has offered recognition and support for dozens of passionate and committed individuals whose efforts in and around their communities have represented creative and effective approaches to environmental concerns.
Past winners have been selected for their outstanding work in such areas as preventing and reversing pollution, species and habitat protection, sustainable economic development, environmental policy, forest management and marine conservation.
Prize recipients for 2010 have just been announced, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and other media outlets. The award ceremony, scheduled to take place this evening at San Francisco Opera House, brings to the stage six individuals selected for exemplifying the Prize’s core ideals and mission.
The prize’s history, scope and purpose are detailed on the Goldman Fund website:
“Grassroots environmental heroes too often go unrecognized. Yet their efforts to protect the world’s natural resources are increasingly critical to the well-being of the planet we all share … The Prize recognizes individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk … Through recognizing these individual leaders, the Prize seeks to inspire other ordinary people to take extraordinary actions to protect the natural world.”
The 2010 Winners are announced as:
Thuli Brilliance Makama, Swaziland’s only public interest attorney for environmental issues, for a court case win that established legal requirements to include environmental NGO participation in state conservation activities.
Tuy Sereivathana of Cambodia for engaging local community support in conservation of endangered elephant populations.
Ma?gorzata Górska of Poland for putting the brakes on a proposed highway that would have impacted one of Europe’s few remaining areas of wilderness.
Humberto Ríos Labrada, a Cuban scientist, for his work with local small farmers in successfully increasing crop yields by adopting practices that require less fertilizers and pesticides.
American Lynn Henning who helped bring attention to the animal welfare and pollution concerns associated with large industrial farm feeding lots.
Randall Arauz of Coast Rica, who helped illuminate and halt the practice of hunting sharks for their fins, a practice that has contributed greatly to global declines in shark populations.
In addition to the thanks and exposure the Goldman Environmental Prize offers, winners receive a monetary award of $150,000, as well as a bronze statue of an Ourobouros. The symbol of a serpent devouring its own tail, common to cultures around the world, represents nature’s regenerative capacity.
Photo courtesy of Goldman Environmental Prize, used with permission.