Editor - Jan Weaver

208 Tucker Hall, MU 65211

Environmental Heroes - 2008 Goldman Prize Winners

by Jan Weaver

Every year for the last 19 years, the Goldman Environmental Prize has been awarded to people or groups on each of the five continents and the island nations for their efforts to protect environmental quality. In these cases the conflict is not between people and nature, it is between people who depend on clean, healthy ecosystems for their livelihood and people who have no qualms about destroying those ecosystems for short term economic gain. www.goldmanprize.org.

Africa: Felciano dos Santos - Mozambique. Santos and his organization Estamos promote low cost environmentally sustainable human waste disposal in some of the poorest and remotest areas of Mozambique. Farming families use an EcoSan to compost waste, storing it for 8 months to kill pathogens. Then the waste is used to fertilize plants and restore the soil, resulting in fewer diseases, 100 % improvement in crop production, improved soil water retention and reduced fertilizer costs. A key component of this program is the participatory workshops led by Estamos that help local residents decide for themselves how to address sanitation issues. An added feature is Santos' band, Massukos, which incorporates formerly taboo information about sanitation into its music.

Asia: Marina Rikhvanova - Siberia. In 2006, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an oil pipeline scheduled to cross the watershed of Lake Baikal to be rerouted. His decision stemmed from Rikhanova's four year effort to raise awareness about the value of Baikal (a UN World Heritage Site because of its unique freshwater flora and fauna) and the potential threats an oil pipeline could pose from spills and leaks. Now, Russia proposes to put a uranium enrichment facility in the same watershed. This facility will accept uranium from other countries, enrich it and return the enriched fuel while keeping the waste from the process, about 90% of the original material. This will be stored on site with a huge potential for the radioactive waste to get into the food chain. Her public efforts have been threatened by the arrest of her son, without charge, for a murder at a radical political activist camp attacked by nationalist partisans.

Europe: Ignace Schops - Belgium. In 1997 Schops, a herpetologist, used his connections and friends to begin working with an industry and nature conservation group - REgionaal Lanschap Kekmpen and Masland (RLKM) - on a new model of nature conservation. This model incorporated jobs and revenue into the design of Belgium's first national park. Over the next several years, over $90 million was raised to purchase the land and Hoge Kempen National Park was opened in 2006. The park has received 400,000 visitors and provides 400 jobs in an economically depressed region. The World Conservation Union plans to use Schops' model to start similar park projects around the world.

Island Nations: Rosa Hilda Ramos - Puerto Rico. When Ramos's mother died of respiratory problems traced to the oil-powered electrical plants in her home town of Catano, Ramos and other community leaders founded Communities United Against Contamination CUCCo. Their persistence resulted in a $10,000 fine against the plant. When it failed to change its procedures, the EPA fined the plant $7 million. Ramos garnered support in Catano for using $3.4 million of the fine to purchase land in the Las Cucharillas Marsh bordering Catano as a wildlife reserve for tropical waterfowl and migrating flocks and to protect the mangroves that protected the coast from tropical storms. Bacardi Corp and Wal-Mart also donated to offset EPA fines and the area is slated to become the Las Curcharillas Nature Reserve.

North America: Jesus Leon Santos - Mexico. The initial success of the chemically intensive farming techniques of the 1980's quickly faded in Oaxaca, one of Mexico's poorest states. Coupled with the influx of cheap midwestern corn (NAFTA) and changing weather patterns, it drove an increase in poverty and out migration. A local Mixtec indigenous small farmer, Santos, began studying the traditional methods, terracing, tree planting, use of native varieties, and seed saving and started turning agriculture around with his group CEDICAM. Coupled with use of appropriate technology, like more efficient wood stoves, and promoting lifestyle changes like reliance on local foods, Santos has reforested more than 1000 hectares, protected 5,000 hectares with terraces and stone walls, increased agricultural production by 50%, doubled the amount of arable land and increased spring flow 50 to 100%.

South/Central America: Pablo Fajardo Mendoza and Luis Yanza - Ecuador. From 1964 through 1990, Texaco (now owned by Chevron), disposed of 37 million gallons of crude oil and drilling wastewater on its Ecuadorian Amazon site by discharging it into rivers and storing it in unlined pits. Yanza co-founded the Amazon Defense Front to organize the 30,000 inhabitants of the region affected in a class-action lawsuit. Fajardo, a resident of the area, is the spokesperson of the Ecuadorian legal team. Chevron does not deny the dumping, but argues there has been no harm and it is not responsible for the cleanup. However, 45 field inspections show $8.3 to $16 billion in damages. Pushing the case forward has entailed considerable personal risk - death threats, harassment and intimidation, and possibly the murder of Fajardo's brother shortly after he joined the legal team.

2008 Peter Raven MU Environmental Leadership Award: The University of Missouri has its own environmental heroes, recognized each year with the Raven Award.

2008 Peter Raven Environmental Leadership Award: Melissa Cheatwood. Cheatwood is a senior in the Environmental Science Program at the University of Missouri and is currently the President of the MU Environmental Science Club and of the Tigers for Tigers student club. A recent example of her organizational efforts has been the adoption and cleanup of Flat Branch Creek by the MU Environmental Science Club. For this ongoing activity by the club, she has interacted with local and state officials and involved middle school students from the Smithton Middle School Green Team in a recent stream clean up. She also arranged for MU Environmental Science Club members to be involved in the Wilderness First Responders course and obtained student government funds to cover the costs of the participants for the course. Her work with the Environmental Science Club revitalized its contributions to the environment on campus and in Columbia as well as advancing the professional development of the club members. Working with Tigers for Tigers, she has helped with outreach and education about the plight of Bengal tigers to MU students and also to local schools. She has also helped coordinate fundraisers for Tigers for Tigers with student organizations on campus. Academically, her principal interest is in water quality and she has worked for several years with Dr. Jack Jones in his water quality research program, while maintaining a high grade point average in the Environmental Science Program.

2008 Honorable Mentions: Jason Fox - Student Energy Conservation Society, Julia Haslinger - Sustain Mizzou, the Mark Twain Hall Green Team, and the Conservation Biology Program Graduate Students

Special Events/Programs/Classes/Talks

7th ANNUAL BIKE, WALK, WHEEL WEEK: May 3-9, http://www.pednet.org/ - also, information on bicycling classes for youth and people who want to take up bike commuting

SCIENCE CAFE- SCIENCE BEHIND GMOS: May 6, 6;30 - 8:00 Cherry Street Artisan

WILDFLOWER WALK: May 7, 14, 5:30 pm, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park - Devil's Icebox Parking Lot

CACHE BIRDING TRIPS: May 7, 14, 21, 28, 7:30 am, sw corner of Parkade Center parking lot

INVASIVE PLANT REMOVAL WORKDAY: May 10, 9:30 - 1:00, Grindstone Nature Area - go to the Capen Park Parking Lot - walk left over the bridge. Wear sturdy boots, and bring drinking water and bug spray, loppers if you have them. Mo River Communities Network will provide gloves, tools and herbicide. Call 256-2602 or email langtrea@gmail.com

NATIVE PLANTING MAINTENANCE: May 10, 10:00 am, Epple Field - meet at Epple Field parking lot to weed and thin the native planting bed around the water fountain with Wild Ones

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATORY BIRD DAY BIRD COUNT: May 10, call 573-445-4925 or contact hazelwoods@mchsi.com

WHAT REALLY USED TO GROW DOWN IN THOSE BIG MUDDY BOTTOMS? May 13, 7:00 pm, Bryant Cabin [I-70 west, right/north on Overton/Wooldridge exit #111 past bridge, left/west on Highway 98, right on Brady Lane, past Loesing parking area and through gate] presented by Jim Harlan. http://www.friendsofbigmuddy.org/meetings.htm

TREE PLANTING: May 18, 9:30 on an eroding hillside owned by the city by a creek that runs behind houses on UMC Drive. Mo River Communities Network will provide tools. Call 256-2602 or email langtrea@gmail.com

RAIN GARDEN TOUR: May 20, 6:00 pm Extension Office - Master Gardners

TIGER TREASURES RUMMAGE SALE: May 31, MU Football Stadium. www.cf.missouri.edu/tigertreasures (after 4/11)

FIRST FRIDAYS: June 6, 7:00 pm, Unitarian Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd. A green documentary or environmental speaker. For more information, g_baka2002@yahoo.com

NATIVE PLANTINGS HOME TOURS: June 14, 10:00 am, 208 Anderson Avenue. Join the Wild Ones on a tour of members homes to see how native plantings are used and get tips on doing them.

MO RIVER CLEANUP IN WASHINGTON MISSOURI: June 14 - a morning clean up followed by music, educational booths and more. call 573.443.0292 or go to www.riverrelief.org for more information

FLICKER, FLICKER FIREFLY: June 21, 7:30 pm, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. reservations required 573-449-7402

NATIVE PLANT FIELD DAY: June 26, 4:00 - 8:00 pm, Bradford Farm

Organization Meetings and Contact Information

AUDUBON SOCIETY: 874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, Unitarian Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd.

BIG CANOE: 573-875-8590 / bryce_crispies@yahoo.com / http://www.bigcanoemo.org/ - Saturday workdays 10-1 at 406 Sanford

BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION: http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st Weds 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr.

CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING: 875-0539 or http://www.midmopeaceworks.org/sustainableliving.php

CHOUTEAU GROTTO: http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, The Casteel Building, 1518 Business Loop 70 East

COLUMBIA CLIMATE CHANGE COALITION: 573-529-9273, Meet 3rd Thu http://www.columbiaclimatechangecoalition.org/

COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE: 882-7463 or http://foodcircles.missouri.edu/sources.htm

COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOL. PROGRAMS: 874-6271 or http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Volunteer/Opportunities/#PW

COMMUNITY GARDEN COALITION: 875-5995 or cgardenc@yahoo.com or http://cgc.missouri.org 3rd Thursdays 7 pm Columbia Public Library

ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/

FRIENDS OF BIG MUDDY: friends@friendsofbigmuddy.org or www.friendsofbigmuddy.org 2nd Tues, 7 pm, Bryant Cabin

FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE M. S. P.: 815-9255 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.

GET ABOUT COLUMBIA: http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/GetAbout_Columbia/index.php

GREEKS GOING GREEN: new group for fraternities and sororities at MU sauzp5@mizzou.edu

GREEN SANCTUARY: 1st Fridays, 7:00 pm UU Church 2615 Shepard Blvd alternates green movies and discussions g_baka2002@yahoo.com

GREENBELT LAND TRUST OF MID-MISSOURI: 442-4789, greenbelt.land.trust @gmail.com or http://greenbelt.missouri.org

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTORE: 815-9836, drop off/ buy 1906 Monroe St. Columbia Mon to Fri 8:30 to 3:30, Sat 8-1 1pm,

MISSOURI ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: www.meea.org

MO NATIVE PLANT SOC.: http://columbianativeplants.missouri.org/, 2nd Mon, odd months, 7 p.m., UU Church, 2615 Shepard

MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK: 573-256-2602 or www.moriver.org or moriver@coin.org

MISSOURIANS FOR SAFE ENERGY: http://www.mosafeenergy.org/Content/ first Tuesdays, 7:15, Peace Nook on Broadway

PEDNET COALITION: email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org

RIVER RELIEF: http://www.riverrelief.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: 875-2916, http://missouri.sierraclub.org/osage/index.htm 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Found., 1107 University Ave

SUSTAIN MIZZOU: http://students.missouri.edu/~sustainmizzou/

WILD ONES: 573 882-9909, ext 3257 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays.

Feedback - Got an opinion? If we have space, we will consider publishing it. Submit it by email (envstudy@missouri.edu), snail 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 MU's 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.