Honor and recognition keep pouring in for the late environmental hero Wangari Maathai. The 18th annual African Union Summit officially changed the name of “African Environment Day” to “Wangari Maathai Day.” The AU also created a new continental prize, the “Wangari Maathai Award for Outstanding Achievements in Environment and Biodiversity Conservation,” to promote conservation efforts…
A mysterious illness in LeRoy, New York is making national headlines. Teenagers from LeRoy High School are showing symptoms of a neurological disorder, similar to Tourette’s Syndrome. Doctors who have treated the teenagers have diagnosed the illness as a psychological disorder, but many people are not satisfied with that answer, including environmental activists Lois Gibbs and Erin…
As the global community gears up for the 2012 Olympic Games in London this summer, at least one country is struggling with the decision to participate amid news that Dow Chemical will be one of the Games’ main sponsors. In 1984, Union Carbide (now Dow Chemical) was responsible for a horrific gas leak at a…
Since the US began destroying its chemical weapon stockpiles in 1986, Craig Williams has been monitoring the process to ensure that safe disposal methods are in place. He won the Goldman Prize in 2006 for his work to ban hazardous incineration techniques at weapons depots around the country. In late 2011, Williams traveled to The…
In 2003 Von Hernandez won the Goldman Prize for his activism against toxic waste incineration in the Philippines. Thanks in part to his efforts, the Philippines became the first country ever to pass a nationwide ban on waste incineration with the Clean Air Act in 1999, followed shortly thereafter by the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act in…
An idea conceived by a group of friends over a round of beers in a Belgian pub 15 years ago is now getting serious traction throughout Western Europe as a model for land conservation. Its newest champion is tennis star Kim Clijsters, who is now an ambassador for one of Ignace Schops’ projects at Regionaal Landschap…
“I will continue fighting for rights and justice until the last days of my life.” That is what 2008 Prize winner Luis Yanza said about the legal battle he and fellow Prize winner Pablo Fajardo been waging against the oil-giant Chevron for nearly 20 years. But it appears that he will not have to wait…
Alexis Massol-Gonzalez, 2002 Prize winner from Puerto Rico, is celebrating the New Year with a victory for the fight against the proposed Via Verde pipeline. In mid-December, a court denied Via Verde’s request to expropriate residential land to make way for building. The pipeline’s current proposed route would impact over 1,500 acres of rainforest, endangering…
Among the greatest environmental victories in Peru last year was the unanimous passage of the “Prior Consultation Law” by the Peruvian Congress. Signed into law by President Ollanta Humala, the bill requires companies to consult with indigenous communities before undertaking any development project on their traditional lands and marks a historic step forward for indigenous…
The courageous and monumental work of all Goldman Prize winners brings us plenty of cheer this season. Happy holidays from all of us at the Goldman Prize. We look forward to more victories from our Prize recipients in the New Year.