What do a Somali peace activist, a Thai ecologist, a Polish farm activist, a Puerto Rican engineer, three tribal leaders from the U.S./Canadian Gwich'in tribe and an indigenous rights activist from Guyana have in common? All of them are winners of the 2002 Goldman Environmental Prize. For the last thirteen years, the Goldman Environmental Prize has awarded $125,000 (no strings attached) to grassroots environmental leaders in 6 global regions - Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America and South America.
Africa: Fatima Jibrell recognized the critical role that scarcity of resources played in fueling civil war in Somalia, so she started relief organizations that educated local communities about the linkages between resources and conflict. One of the organizations she founded was the Buran Rural Institute, a traveling camel caravan that reaches out to nomadic tribes to teach them about resources, livestock management and peace. Her grassroots organizing also ended the decade long deforestation of critical watersheds. Charcoal from logs from the northeastern forests became Somalia's main export after 1991. A ban on exports imposed by the regional government - due to her efforts - led to an 80% drop in charcoal trade.
Asia: Pisit Charnsnoh saw that years of industrial fishing, shrimp farming and logging for charcoal had degraded Thailand's mangrove forests and reefs to such an extent that coastal fisheries could no longer support local communities. Charnsnoh, a Buddhist, overcame cultural and religious barriers to help the local Muslim fishers recover control of their fisheries from government agencies that had contracted with industrial shrimp farms which polluted coastal waters with silt and shrimp waste, and with international fleets whose dragnets and explosives destroyed the coral reefs that fish used as nurseries. His Yadfon (Raindrop) Association worked with 30 communities to restore 240 acres of mangrove resulting in a 40% increase in fish catch.
Europe: Ladwiga Lopata knew that Poland's system of small (<20 acres) family farms had been able to resist collectivization during the communist years, but was not sure it would survive joining the European Union, where large agricultural subsidies favor industrial farming. Through a combination of organic agricultural techniques, market development and ecotourism, she created a system of ecofarms, that grew from 400 to 13,000 participating farms in 10 years. The farms market organic produce and their way of life, hosting thousands of tourists from all over Europe. She has organized the International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside, which includes 462 organizations and 3 million people across Europe to lobby the EU to shift its agricultural policy away from subsidizing industrial farming.
Islands and Island Nations: Alexis Massol-Gonzalez organized Casa Pueblo in the 1980Õs to help local communities in the Gigante Dormido (Sleeping Giant) mountains in Puerto Rico to persuade the government to stop granting permits for open pit mining in the area. Massol-Gonzalez and Casa Pueblo were able to sway public opinion throughout the country to have the area declared a forest preserve, the Bosque del Pueblo (PeopleÕs Forest). For the first time in Puerto Rico's history, a local community was put in charge of managing a government reserve for its cultural and environmental benefits instead of having the area exploited purely for its raw materials.
North America: Jonathan Solomon, Sarah James and Norma Kassi have focused their efforts on preventing oil exploration and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR). Members of the Gwich'in First Nations Peoples campaign, they were concerned about the impacts of drilling on the Porcupine Caribou herd and other species given the releatively small amount of petroleum the site was expected to yield. Although the drilling platforms might be small, the hundreds of miles of roads and pipeline required, and the intensive mapping required to locate oil deposits, could seriously disrupt caribou, polar bears and other arctic species. Through grassroots organizing, conferences and lobbying, they were able to persuade a majority of the U.S. Senate to vote against the drilling in ANWR.
South America: Jean La Rose has been fighting for each person's right to a healthy environment since the 1970's when the Guyanese government declared the Mazaruni River unfit for human use - no fishing, swimming, bathing, drinking - after it was contaminated with 3 million liters of cyanide effluent from gold mining. Along with the Amerindian People's Association, she organized workshops to inform indian leaders of their legal rights and filed the first ever indigenous land rights lawsuit demanding an end to all mining concessions in tribal regions.
University of Missouri: At MU, we are growing our own grassroots organizers. Each year, the MU Peter H. Raven Environmental Leadership Award recognizes a student or student group that takes a lead in increasing environmental awareness and environmental action in the MU community. This year's winner is Shelley Pasternak, a student in the School of Natural Resources. Shelley has put together teams of students to help with last fallÕs first annual Missouri River Clean-Up, has incorporated recycling into the SNR food booth at MU games and into their annual I70 clean-up, organized the annual field day which gives students an opportunity for a hands-on experience in natural resource fields, and has organized a job fair for natural resource and other students.
The Goldman Environmental Prize and the Raven Environmental Leadership Award both identify the extraordinary commitment of ordinary people, and so show what a committed person can accomplish. Since each of us is at least ordinary, each of us has the potential to be extraordinary.
To learn more:
Goldman Environmental Prize -
http://www.goldmanprize.org/
MU Peter Raven
Environmental Leadership Award -
http://www.missouri.edu/~esiwww/winners.html
Bioregional Quiz: Public discussions about stormwater issues will be increasing. Why are storm drains an important environmental issue?
Job Opportunity: Environmental Engineer: CDM in Kansas City, MO CDM is a consulting, engineering, construction, & operations firm helping public & private clients improve environment and infrastructure. Our mission is to reach goals by providing the right total solutions. Job responsibilities: entry-level environmental engineer to assist in environmental remediation design, regulatory permit applications, environmental sampling, and site assessment and report preparation projects. Requirements: B.S. degree in environmental or civil engineering (M.S. preferred). Must have E.I.T. registration and excellent written and oral communication skills. If interested go to www.cdm.com/Careers/Current+Openings/1893.htm or send a curriculum vitae to: CDM Human Resources One Cambridge Place, 50 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
Special Events/Classes/Programs/Talks
WATERSHED FRIENDLY LAWN FIELD DAY: Sunday May 5, 11 - 4, Rock Bridge State Park (upper
lot)
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES MEETING: Monday May 6, noon, 234 Brady Commons . Annual Meeting for the
MU Environmental Studies Program, open to all faculty, staff, and students interested in
Environmental Studies: items - affiliated faculty and environmental studies in Special Degree
Program. Bring your Lunch!
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION COURSES: Spring and Summer, Mo DNR, Stream Environments 6/17-19,
Investigating Environmental Issues 6/23-28, Missouri River 7/9-12, Energy for Missouri 8/3-4.
http://www.dnr.state.mo.us/oac/edcourse.htm for more info
KATY TRAIL RIDE: Follow in the footsteps of Lewis & Clark - but on a bike, July 24-28.
http://www.mostateparks.com/katytrail/2002ride/2002registration.htm for more information
BUTTERFLY COUNTS: May 11, June 13, Aug 22, 10 - 2, Rock Bridge State Park call 442-2660 for
more info
MU Organization Meetings and Contact Information
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL 882-7116; envstudy@missouri.edu
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES EXEC COM 882-7116; envstudy@missouri.edu
RECYCLING COMMITTEE 882-3091 125 General Services Building
Organization Meetings and Contact Information
AUDUBON SOCIETY; 874-3904 or columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, USGS Env Res
Ctr, 4200 New Haven
BONNE FEMME WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP; 874-1637 or email phoeniwolf@yahoo.com
CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING; 875-0539 or http://peaceworks.missouri.org/
COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE; 882-7463 or email hendricksonm@missouri.edu for information.
COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS; 874-6271 or
http://www.ci.columbia.mo.us/dept/pubw/
FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE STATE PARK; 474-7429 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Meet 4th
Tuesdays.
GREENBELT COALITION; 442-4789 or http://greenbelt.missouri.org Meet 1st Tuesdays, 7 pm,
Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.
MISSOURI HEARTWOOD; 443-6832 or http://www.heartwood.org/MO/ Meet Tuesdays, 7:30 pm -1027 E.
Walnut.
MISSOURI NATIVE PLANT SOC; 445-0321 or http://digmo.com/~npsboco Meet 2nd Mon 7 pm USGS Ctr,
4200 New Haven
MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK; 443-0292 or http://mrcn.missouri.org/
NATIVE AMERICAN SUPPORT GROUP; 443-5985
PEDNET COALITION; email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org
ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK; 449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org
SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION; (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org
SIERRA CLUB; 443-4401 or http://sierra.osage.missouri.org Meet 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel
Foundation, 1107 University Ave
SMART GROWTH COALITION; tomvmoran@yahoo.com Meet 1st Wednesdays, 7:15 pm, Boone County
Government Bldg.
WILD ONES; 499-3749 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd
Saturdays. Call for location
Answer to BioRegional Quiz: Storm drains collect stormwater to prevent streets and property from flooding. When it rains, the first raindrops soak into the ground, but once the soil is saturated, or, if the surface is impervious (e.g. paved or roof covered), the stormwater is caught in storm drains. Debris and chemicals from streets and lawns is washed into the stormwater sewer system. For many communities, the storm sewer system empties untreated stormwater directly into a stream, lake or sinkhole. In some communities, the stormwater is combined with municipal wastewater sewer system, but when a large storm occurs, water at the wastewater treatment plant may be released with minimal treatment, resulting in raw sewage entering waterways. Storm water can also erode stream banks, smother streambeds with sediment, destroy stream life with accumulated chemicals and bacteria, pollute drinking water, and increase flooding. The EPA now considers stormwater pollution to be one of the most significant sources of contamination in our nation's waters.
Feedback - Got an opinion? If we have space, we will consider publishing it. Submit it by email (envstudy@missouri. edu), mail Environmental Studies, 211 Lowry , MU, Columbia MO 65211), or call Jan Weaver to talk about it (882-7116). MU Environmental Network News is published by MUÕs Environmental Studies Initiative. All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor. Any part of this newsletter may be copied for distribution but please give us credit.