THE DOING MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
Manana Kochladze’s tenacity in the face of widespread government corruption and multinational industry interests won critical concessions to protect local villagers and the environment in the former Soviet republic from the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil export pipeline.
Jadwiga Lopata created an eco-tourism program that promoted the environmental, economic and health advantages of small family farms over large-scale factory agriculture.
A physicist and economics professor, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo spearheaded a new wave of activism and forged a sustainable water future based on conservation, recycling and informed agricultural choices.
In response to post-communist development and resource exploitation, Vera Mischenko cofounded Ecojuris, Russia’s first public interest law organization, and brought the first successful environmental lawsuits against the government.
Michal Kravcik galvanized support to halt a dam planned during the Communist era by proposing effective democratic alternatives, including smaller dams, decentralized water management, and restored farmlands.
Anna Giordano launched a campaign to save raptors being illegally shot for sport in her native Sicily. Despite violent threats and the firebombing of her car, Giordano’s efforts significantly reduced the number of birds killed.
A former naval officer, Alexander Nikitin was unjustly imprisoned for almost five years for treason after revealing the potential for a nuclear catastrophe due to Russia’s aging nuclear submarines based near the Norwegian border. He was acquitted in 2000.
Albena Simeonova mobilized against environmental threats, such as the construction of ill-designed nuclear power plants, and organized a decentralized system of “eco-inspectorates” to empower citizens to address community concerns.
Emma Must’s campaign against a nationwide road-building program resulted in the cancellation of 60 road projects and the development of new transportation policies.
Heffa Schücking traced Germany’s role in destroying tropical forests worldwide in her landmark Rainforest Memorandum, precipitating a significant reduction in Germany’s consumption of tropical timber.
