Recipients of Goldman Environmental Prize announced

Apr 19, 2010, 20:12 GMT

San Francisco - Environmental activists working to save elephants in Cambodia, sharks in the waters of Costa Rica and one of the last wilderness areas in Poland were among the winners announced Monday of the 2010 Goldman Environmental Prize.

The other winners included a Midwestern US family farmer who exposed the massive pollution caused by commercial cattle farming, a biodiversity researcher in Cuba who has worked with local farmers to promote sustainable agriculture, and Swaziland's only environmental attorney who works with poverty-stricken communities on the edge of conservation areas.

'I am motivated and inspired by the courage of these leaders,' said Goldman Prize founder Richard N Goldman. 'Their commitment to fighting for a better future illustrates the perseverance of the grassroots environmental movement around the world.'

The Goldman Environmental Prize, now in its 21st year, is awarded annually to grassroots environmental heroes from each of the world's six inhabited continental regions and is the largest award of its kind with an individual cash prize of 150,000 dollars.

The winners of the 2010 awards are:

Thuli Brilliance Makama, Swaziland: Thuli Makama, Swaziland's only public interest environmental attorney, won a landmark case to include environmental non-governmental organization (NGO) representation in conservation decisions and continues to challenge the forced evictions and violence perpetrated against poverty- stricken communities living on the edges of conservation areas.

Tuy Sereivathana, Cambodia: Tuy Sereivathana worked to mitigate human elephant conflict in Cambodia by introducing innovative low- cost solutions, empowering local communities to cooperatively participate in endangered Asian elephant conservation.

Magorzata Gorska, Poland: Magorzata Gorska led the fight to protect Poland's Rospuda Valley, one of Europe's last true wilderness areas, from a controversial highway project that would have destroyed the region's sensitive ecosystems.

Humberto Rios Labrada, Cuba: A scientist and biodiversity researcher, Humberto Rios Labrada promoted sustainable agriculture by working with farmers to increase crop diversity and develop low-input agricultural systems that greatly reduce the need for pesticide and fertilizer, encouraging Cuba's shift from agricultural chemical dependence.

Lynn Henning, US: Family farmer in rural Michigan, Lynn Henning exposed the egregious polluting practices of CAFOs -concentrated animal feeding operations- gaining the attention of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and prompting state regulators to issue hundreds of citations for water quality violations.

Randall Arauz, Costa Rica: Drawing international attention to the inhumane and environmentally catastrophic shark finning industry, Randall Arauz led the campaign to halt the practice in Costa Rica, making his country the new international model for shark protection.