What do Ben Affleck, Cindy McCain and Corneille Ewango (2005) have in common? An understanding that local communities working together at the grassroots level is the surest way to defeat a common problem or reach a common goal. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is in the midst of a contentious national election that threatens…
Francisco Pineda, the 2011 Goldman Prize winner from El Salvador, recently participated in a panel at the Society of Environmental Journalists’ (SEJ) 21st Annual Conference. The panel consisted of representatives from the mining industry, citizens from the areas affected by mining, and environmental advocates including Keith Slack, manager of Oxfam America’s Right to Know, Right…
As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, we wanted to take a moment and give thanks to all the grassroots environmental activists like Hilton Kelley who are working hard to protect our natural resources. Hilton recently stopped by our office in San Francisco to share his thoughts on the recent victory to halt…
The Goldman Environmental Foundation and the Green Belt Movement hosted a memorial service for 1991 Goldman Prize winner Wangari Maathai on Wednesday night. The service was held at the Delancey Street Theatre in San Francisco. Leaders from the environmental and business communities as well as individuals who had known and supported her work shared heartfelt…
The latest issue of O Magazine features an eight-page spread about Lynn Henning’s heroic battle against CAFOs—concentrated animal feeding operations that hold thousands of animals in small, confined spaces. Their practices pollute the air, land and water that provide the livelihood for small family farms like Henning’s, which has been in her family for four…
Among the 1,200 activists arrested in front of the White House in September was 2002 Goldman Prize winner Alexis Massol-Gonzalez. The founder of Casa Pueblo joined the demonstrators in solidarity to protest the Keystone pipeline, and to take an important message to the White House about another project that threatens his hometown in Puerto Rico:…
Sarah James, who shared the 2002 Goldman Prize with fellow Gwich’in leaders Norma Kassi and Jonathon Solomon, traveled to Washington DC earlier this month to participate in a national exhibit about the impact of climate change on indigenous cultures. Organized by Conversations with the Earth, the exhibit was on view at the Smithsonian’s National Museum…
Congratulations to our partners at the Mill Valley Film Group! Their film “Finned,” featuring 2010 Goldman Prize winner Randall Arauz, won in the category of Best Short Program at the 2011 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. Meanwhile, Arauz and PRETOMA’s campaign to protect sharks goes on. They are currently fighting to ban imported shark fins,…
The House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources recently hosted a hearing in West Virginia to discuss the impact of coal mining regulations in Appalachia. While floor time was dominated by political supporters of the coal mining industry, environmental activists Maria Gunnoe and Bo Webb got a chance to represent the real voices of families…
We were terribly saddened to receive news this morning about the passing of Wangari Maathai. As a life so full would have it, she held numerous honors and distinctions. We were honored to recognize her with the 1991 Goldman Environmental Prize and will forever be inspired by her unwavering commitment to the environment and social…