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February 2016

Worldwide Wednesday: Global Hero Jean Wiener, Haiti

Six “grassroots environmental heroes” from around the world were honored with the annual Goldman Prize for their role in defending the earth, “often at great personal risk.”  Today we honor  Jean Wiener of Haiti: In a country plagued by extreme poverty and political instability, Jean Wiener led community efforts to establish the nation’s first Marine Protected Areas by empowering Haitians to see the long-term value in sustainably managing fisheries and mangrove forests.… Read the rest

Worldwide Wednesday: Global Hero Phyllis Omido, Kenya

Six “grassroots environmental heroes” from around the world were honored with the annual Goldman Prize for their role in defending the earth, “often at great personal risk.”  Today we honor Phyllis Omido, Kenya: After learning her own breast milk was making her baby sick—and realizing her child wasn’t the only one suffering from lead poisoning— Phyllis Omido galvanized the community in Mombasa to shut down the smelter that was exposing people to dangerous chemicals.… Read the rest

Worldwide Wednesday: Global Hero Marilyn Baptiste, Canada

Six “grassroots environmental heroes” from around the world were honored with the annual Goldman Prize for their role in defending the earth, “often at great personal risk.”  Today we honor Marilyn Baptiste, Canada: A former chief of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation, Marilyn Baptiste led her community in defeating one of the largest proposed gold and copper mines in British Columbia that would have destroyed Fish Lake—a source of spiritual identity and livelihood for the Xeni Gwet’in.… Read the rest

Worldwide Wednesday: Global Hero Berta Cáceres, Honduras

Six “grassroots environmental heroes” from around the world were honored with the annual Goldman Prize for their role in defending the earth, “often at great personal risk.”  Today we honor Berta Cáceres, Honduras: In a country with growing socioeconomic inequality and human rights violations, Berta Cáceres rallied the indigenous Lenca people of Honduras and waged a grassroots campaign that successfully pressured the world’s largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam.… Read the rest