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ORDINARY PEOPLE. EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT.

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30 Years of the Goldman Prize in the New York Times

April 6, 2020

The first Goldman Environmental Prize was awarded in April 1990, scheduled to coincide with Earth Day, which debuted in 1970.

Kicked off by a full-page ad in the New York Times, Earth Day established itself as an important new rallying cry and national call to action. The 1970 ad shows the humble beginnings of this movement, noting its populist roots and a support base in local colleges. At the same time, its goals were ambitious, calling for “real rather than rhetorical solutions,” and asked for a commitment “For you. For us. For our children.”

50 years later—as Earth Day and the Goldman Prize are both flourishing—Earth Day’s most recent ad in the New York Times, in February 2020, calls for people around the world to “Stand Up. Speak Up. Show Up.” Now a global phenomenon, Earth Day engages millions around the world in the critical fight for our planet and our future.

New York Times Earth Day Ad 1970 (left) and 2020 (right).

Inspired by this recent article by Earth Day Network, we were motivated to go on our own trip down memory lane with the New York Times.

Starting in 1994, the Goldman Environmental Prize has showcased each year’s Prize winners in the New York Times. As of this moment, over 194 Prize winners from around the world have appeared in the ads, elevating their vital environmental work and messages to a national and international audience.

As that initial Earth Day ad said, “Big names don’t save the environment. People do.”

Enjoy a look back at Goldman Prize history.

2019 Prize winners: Alberto Curamil (Chile), Linda Garcia (United States), Jacqueline Evans (Cook Islands), Ana Colovic Lesoska (North Macedonia), Bayarjargal Agvaantseren (Mongolia), Alfred Brownell (Liberia)
2018 Prize winners: Claire Nouvian (France), LeeAnne Walters (United States), Manny Calonzo (The Philippines), Khanh Nguy Thi (Vietnam), Francia Márquez (Colombia), Makoma Lekalakala & Liz McDaid (South Africa)
2016 Prize winners: Edward Loure (Tanzania), Luis Jorge Rivera Herrera (Puerto Rico), Destiny Watford (North America), Máxima Acuña (Peru), Leng Ouch (Cambodia), Zuzana Čaputová (Slovakia)
2014 Prize winners: Suren Gazaryan (Russia), Desmond D’Sa (Africa), Ramesh Agrawal (India), Ruth Buendía (Peru), Helen Slottje (United States), Rudi Putra (Indonesia)
2005 Prize winners: Kaisha Atakhanova (Kazakhstan), Corneille Ewango (Democratic Republic of Congo), Chavannes Jean-Baptiste (Haiti), Isidro Baldenegro (Mexico), Stephanie Roth (Romania), Jose Andres Tamayo (Honduras)
1997 Prize winners: Alexander Nikitin (Russia), Terri Swearingen (United States), Juan Pablo Orrego (Chile), Loir Botor Dingit (Indonesia), Paul Cox & Fuiono Senio (Western Samoa), Nick Carter (Zambia)

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