This week we are spotlighting long-time friend of the Prize, Barbara Harrison. A local NBC news anchor in Washington, DC, Harrison has been the Master of Ceremonies for the DC Goldman Prize ceremony for nine years.Before moving to Washington, DC in 1981, Harrison worked as a news anchor for KGO-TV in San Francisco. She knew Mr. Richard Goldman for many years.Harrison has been honored with several awards for her work including several Emmys, the Ted Yates Award for outstanding community service, and an award from the International Film and TV Festival of New York for a half-hour special she reported and produced, “The Healing of Kuwait.”Year after year Harrison brings great energy and aplomb to the Goldman Prize ceremony, and year after year we are grateful for her dedication and efforts to spotlight the work of the Goldman Prize recipients. Thank you, Barbara! 

A luncheon at the Capitol Building honoring the 2013 Goldman Prize recipients was a highlight of the Washington, DC Prize tour. The Prize was once again honored to have as its special guest, long-time friend of the Prize, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.Congresswoman Pelosi congratulated each of the recipients for their leadership in their home countries and was very happy to introduce them to her colleagues in Congress. Nearly 20 Members of Congress attended the luncheon and spoke with the recipients, learning more about their environmental efforts and the urgent challenges they are addressing at home.Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut joined numerous House Representatives at the luncheon.Goldman Prize recipient Aleta Baun of Indonesia presented Congresswoman Pelosi with a colorful, beautifully hand-woven scarf, made by her fellow indigenous women of Mollo on the island of Timor in Indonesia. Congresswoman Pelosi wore it proud

While in Washington, DC, the 2013 Goldman Prize recipients met with longtime friend of the Prize, Chair Nancy Sutley of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and Deputy Assistant for Energy and Climate Change Heather Zichal.After Chair Sutley and Ms. Zichal congratulated the 2013 Prize recipients on their accomplishments, each of the Prize recipients had the opportunity to share their stories and discuss ways the CEQ could support them in their work.The group discussed the ramifications of our fossil fuel driven society and the impact of climate change on local communities. They also commented on the necessity of scientific research for making sound development decisions, especially in regard to resource extraction.Chair Sutley emphasized the importance of involving the public in government decisions, saying, “The law that created the CEQ also created a requirement for the federal government to review environmental impacts of all decision it makes. The US wanted to

Last month, the international community received news that 2009 Goldman Prize recipient, Marc Ona Essangui is facing possible jail time and a fee of nearly $10,000.00 US after recently being convicted of defamation by a Gabonese court.The defamation charge was filed after Ona allegedly spoke out against possible government corruption involving Soleman Liban, a senior advisor to Gabonese President Ali Bongo, and Olam Gabon, a foreign agricultural company that operates in Gabon.The global network of Goldman Prize recipients immediately jumped to action, working together to draft an open letter to the President of Gabon which was signed by over 50 Goldman Prize recipients and circulated on their networks. Ona was awarded the Goldman Prize in 2009 for his efforts to publicly expose the unlawful agreements behind a huge mining project threatening the sensitive ecosystems of Gabon’s equatorial rainforests. As one of Gabon’s most prominent environmental activists, the internation

During the 2013 Prize tour in San Francisco, the 2013 Goldman Prize recipients were honored with a reception at the Crissy Field Center in Presidio National Park, where they had the opportunity to interact with students from the local youth groups, including Inspiring Young Emerging Leaders (I-YEL).Prize recipients were interviewed by students before being introduced to the audience, where they each delivered brief remarks and words of encouragement for the youth. After the presentations, the Prize recipients participated in a tree-planting ceremony before enjoying refreshments and mingling with the students.Year after year, the youth reception at the Crissy Field Center continues to be a highlight of Prize tour, with Prize recipients coming away feeling reenergized and inspired by their experience with the students.Special thanks to the wonderful staff at the Crissy Field Center, Frank Dean and the National Park Service, Greg Moore and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and

While in Washington, DC last month, the 2013 Goldman Prize recipients had the opportunity to discuss their work with several senior staff at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including acting EPA Administrator Robert Perciasepe and Senior Advisor to the Administrator for Environmental Justice, Lisa Garcia.Other EPA staff in attendance included Cynthia Giles (Assistant Administrator, Enforcement and Compliance), Mathy Stanislaus (Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response), Bicky Corman (Deputy General Counsel), and Charles Lee (Deputy Assistant Administrator for Environmental Justice).Each of the Prize recipients had the opportunity to discuss their campaigns and highlight how the EPA’s support, assistance and partnership could be beneficial to their efforts in their home countries.Speaking on behalf of the efforts of all Goldman Prize recipients, 2013 North American Prize recipient Kim Wasserman of Chicago stated to Perciasepe and the officials in the r

A new study about the harmful effects of Glyphosate is lending weight to 2012 Goldman Prize recipient Sofia Gatica’s campaign to stop the indiscriminate spraying of toxic agrochemicals in Argentina and around the world.The peer-reviewed study, which appeared in the scientific journal Entropy, focuses on Monsanto’s popular herbicide, Round Up, and its chief ingredient glyphosate.The study finds that glyphosate is linked to a plethora of health problems and diseases, including Parkinson’s, cancer, infertility and birth defects, once again confirming what activists like Gatica have been claiming for years.Gatica was awarded the Prize in 2012 for her efforts to expose the dangers of agrochemicals, after losing her infant daughter to pesticide poisoning. Today, she and the team at Mothers of Ituzaingó, the organization she helped establish, are taking their campaign to the global level- partnering with activist groups in the US and europe to call for an end to industrial pesticid

During the San Francisco leg of the Prize tour, 2013 recipients Rossano Ercolini and Nohra Padilla had the opportunity to visit Recology’s Pier 96, San Francisco’s state of the art recycling center.The employee-owned center diverts 30 large shipping containers of recyclable material from landfills six days a week while providing 180 full-time jobs to the city.Ercolini and Padilla are both working to reduce waste in their communities. Ercolini, who is leading the effort to stop waste incineration in Europe, used San Francisco’s recycling program as a model for his own Zero Waste program.Padilla is leading the effort to make recycling a legitimate part of waste management in Colombia. She recently received partial financing from the Inter-American Development to create a new recycling center in Bogota- which may also be influenced by the San Francisco model.During their tour of the Recology center, Ercolini and Padilla met with Paul Giusti and Robert Reed from Recology, as well as

Jonathan Deal led a successful campaign against fracking in South Africa to protect the Karoo, a semi-desert region treasured for its agriculture, beauty and wildlife.What is life like in the Karoo?I think there’s a misperception that the Karoo is a ‘throwaway’ place, somewhere that can be easily exploited; because it is dry and arid, people assume it’s not good farmland. I believe this is why Shell underestimated the will of the people and the people’s spiritual connection to the land. But in fact, the Karoo is home to diverse communities and industries. The Karoo is a big producer of meat and vegetables for South Africa. It is one of the biggest mohair export regions in the world, and also produces wine, olives, honey and leatherwork.How did you learn about Shell’s plans to begin fracking in the Karoo, and what drove you to stop it?I opened the local newspaper in January 2011 and there was an article about South African business tycoon Johann Rupert having a go at Shell

The 2013 Goldman Prize recipients have not slowed down a bit in the days following Monday’s award ceremony, leaving San Francisco on Tuesday morning for Washington, DC.The Prize recipients had the honor of meeting with several prominent political leaders including President Barack Obama, Acting EPA Administrator Robert Perciasepe and Chair Nancy Sutley from the White House Council on Environmental Quality.The Prize recipients also joined several members of Congress, including Representative Nancy Pelosi, for a luncheon on Capitol Hill.The 2013 Goldman Prize ceremony in Washington, DC took place on Wednesday, April 17 at our new venue- the Ronald Regan Building and International Trade Center. Local NBC news anchor Barbara Harrison returned as Master of Ceremonies for the standing-room only event and guests enjoyed musical entertainment from singer-songwriter Patty Reese.Tonight the Prize recipients will say farewell to each other as the 2013 Prize tour wraps-up with a farewell dinner