Goldman Environmental Prize Blog

The Fukashima disaster in Japan illustrated all too clearly the dangers of nuclear power. Ursula Sladek’s campaign for a nuclear-free future is reaching people around the world, especially in Japan, where one woman was so inspired- she decided to start an anti-nuclear movement of her own: the Natural Energy Society. Mariko Sayama wrote to the…

Wanjira Maathai, daughter of the late Wangari Maathai, paid a visit to the Goldman Prize office to chat about her mother’s legacy and the future of the Green Belt Movement. The Green Belt Movement continues to focus on tree-planting and community engagement operations in Kenya, and would eventually like focus on expanding into other African…

Egyptian garbage collector communities, known as zabbaleen, play an invaluable role in the management of Cairo’s solid waste. They specialize in separating organic and non-organic materials. Recyclable materials are sorted from the non-organic waste and delivered to recycling companies. The organic waste is turned into rich compost which is then delivered to local farms. Organic…

A mysterious illness in LeRoy, New York is making national headlines. Teenagers from LeRoy High School are showing symptoms of a neurological disorder, similar to Tourette’s Syndrome.  Doctors who have treated the teenagers have diagnosed the illness as a psychological disorder, but many people are not satisfied with that answer, including environmental activists Lois Gibbs and Erin…

Since the US began destroying its chemical weapon stockpiles in 1986, Craig Williams has been monitoring the process to ensure that safe disposal methods are in place. He won the Goldman Prize in 2006 for his work to ban hazardous incineration techniques at weapons depots around the country. In late 2011, Williams traveled to The…