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Young World
Gold for Nature
S.THEODORE BASKARAN
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Richard Goldman set up the Goldman Environment Award to encourage people who take care of Planet Earth.
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Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Bird paradise : For a good life.
Rosa Hilda Ramos, a 63-year-old lady in Puerto Rico in South America is fond of birds. In her town of San Juan there is a large lake, Las Cucharilas, surrounded by mangrove forests. It is home to varieties of birds such as pelicans and coots. But power plants and factories had come up allaround and the wetland was threatened. Smoke and chemicals from the factories caused diseases like cancer among the people.
Rosa formed a group of citizens and began a fight to save the lake, to reduce pollution and clean up the air. She went round the town, convinced the people and they went to court. Eventually the lake was saved and the town of San Juan now has not only a bird sanctuary but also clean air. Last year Rosa was honoured with the Goldman Environmental Award, worth about Rs. 65 lakhs. There were five others who got the award. They had done similar work in their countries.
In India
Every year six people are chosen for this award which is considered as Nobel Prize in the field of environment. Richard Goldman, an American billionaire, set up these awards in 1990 to encourage common people who give all they can to the cause of environment. The award is given every year in San Francisco on April 16. Wangari Maathai of Kenya who got this award in 1991 went on to win the Nobel Prize in 2004. She had started the Green Belt movement to recreate forests.
Four people from India have received these awards so far. The first to get this is Medha Patkar. When a huge dam was built across the Narmada, more than three lakh tribals were displaced, their villages submerged in water and they became ecological refugees. Medha took up their cause. Though she was put in prison a number of times, she formed the Narmada Bachao Andolam and continues the struggle.
Rashida Bee and Champa Devi were recognised for the fight they put up for the Bhopal gas victims. More than 8000 died in 1984 when a poisonous gas from Pesticide factory leaked.
Next to get the award was a lawyer from Delhi, M.C. Mehta for his legal battle to save the Taj Mahal from getting damaged by pollutants from the nearby industrial units.
All these people are fighting to save the earth, to protect the air we breathe, the water we use and the land we cultivate.
What we can do
All these people are fighting to save the earth, to protect the air we breathe, the water we use and the land we cultivate.
Each one of us can help in this work. But first, we have to be well informed of the issues involved whether it is climate change or conservation of tigers. So read, browse and watch TV programmes to learn about these issues.
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