ENVIRONMENT REPORT - Goldman Environmental Prize By Caty Weaver

Broadcast: May 9, 2003 This is the VOA Special English Environ ent !eport" Seven activists are this year#s $inners o% the &old an Environ ental 'o(ndation a$ards" The $inners received their one) h(ndred)t$enty)%ive)tho(sand dollar pri*es at a cere ony in San 'rancisco, +ali%ornia" The &old an Environ ental ,ri*e is the $orld-s largest progra e.perts choose the $inners %ro si. parts o% the $orld" that honors local environ ental activists" Each year,

This year, t$o people share the pri*e %or /slands and /sland 0ations" Eileen 1a pa2(ta Bro$n and Eileen 3ani 3ing%ield are A4origines, the native people o% A(stralia" They lead a ca paign to 4loc2 the 4(ilding o% a n(clear $aste center in the desert in so(thern A(stralia $here they live" 5(lia Bonds o% the 6nited States is the $inner o% the &old an ,ri*e %or 0orth A erica" She has $or2ed to stop the o(ntaintop re oval ethod o% coal ining in the Appalachian Mo(ntains o% 3est Virginia" Mi** Bonds is the da(ghter o% a coal iner" 'or A%rica, the &old an ,ri*e $inner is %orest protection activist Odigha Odigha o% 0igeria" Mister Odigha helped esta4lish a te porary 4an on the c(tting do$n o% trees in +ross !iver State" An activist %ro the ,hilippines $on the &old an ,ri*e %or Asia" Von 7ernande* organi*ed ca paigns to end the 4(rning o% $aste" S(ch 4(rning releases poisons into the air" The ,hilippines 4eca e the %irst co(ntry to 4an the activity" Maria Elena 'oronda 'arro is a co (nity organi*er in ,er(" She $on the &old an ,ri*e %or +entral and So(th A erica %or her e%%orts to stop poll(tion 4y ,er(-s %ish eal ind(stry" She %or ed alliances a ong co (nity activists, %ish eal prod(cers and the govern ent to a2e the ind(stry operate ore cleanly" The &old an ,ri*e %or E(rope $ent to ,edro Arro8o)Ag(do o% Spain" Mister Arro8o leads e%%orts to change govern ent policies on $ater anage ent in Spain" 7e see2s to end the syste o% 4loc2ing and re)directing the %lo$ o% Spanish rivers" !ichard and !hoda &old an created the &old an Environ ental ,ri*e in nineteen)ninety" The p(rpose o% the &old an 'o(ndation a$ards is to sho$ the di%%erence that each person can a2e to help the environ ent" This VOA Special English Environ ent !eport $as $ritten 4y +aty 3eaver"