Before Stephanie Roth won the Goldman Prize in 2005 for protecting an ancient Romanian village from being destroyed by a massive silver and gold mining project; she worked as a researcher and editor for The Ecologist magazine. The London-based magazine was founded by the late Edward “Teddy” Goldsmith, a long-time nominator for the Prize. Goldsmith was…
2002 Goldman Prize winner Alexis Massol-Gonzalez and his son Arturo Massol are at the forefront of the fight against Puerto Rico’s proposed Via Verde pipeline project. The pipeline’s planned route threatens thousands of acres of rainforest, rivers, and wildlife. In early January we reported on the campaign’s progress as news broke of a court decision…
The Fukashima disaster in Japan illustrated all too clearly the dangers of nuclear power. Ursula Sladek’s campaign for a nuclear-free future is reaching people around the world, especially in Japan, where one woman was so inspired- she decided to start an anti-nuclear movement of her own: the Natural Energy Society. Mariko Sayama wrote to the…
A federal district court in Washington state has found a CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) in violation of the Clean Water Act and is forcing it to implement stricter pollution monitoring programs. Manure (mixed with other waste) from CAFOs is often used as “fertilizers” on agricultural fields or stored in “manure lagoons.” These lagoons often…
Manana Kochladze, founder of Georgia’s largest environmental NGO, Green Alternative, won the Goldman Prize in 2004 for her precedent setting campaign against the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. Today she celebrates a victory as Turkish investors pull out of the massive Namakhvan Cascade dam project. The project seeks to build three separate hydroelectric stations along the Rioni…
Wanjira Maathai, daughter of the late Wangari Maathai, paid a visit to the Goldman Prize office to chat about her mother’s legacy and the future of the Green Belt Movement. The Green Belt Movement continues to focus on tree-planting and community engagement operations in Kenya, and would eventually like focus on expanding into other African…
Egyptian garbage collector communities, known as zabbaleen, play an invaluable role in the management of Cairo’s solid waste. They specialize in separating organic and non-organic materials. Recyclable materials are sorted from the non-organic waste and delivered to recycling companies. The organic waste is turned into rich compost which is then delivered to local farms. Organic…
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…