Innovation

The 2008 Goldman Environmental Prize winners were announced earlier this month, and the recipients represent a wide range of countries and issues, from land renewal in Mexico to protecting water sources in Russia. Now in its 19th year, the Goldman Prize is awarded annually to grassroots environmental heroes from each of the world’s inhabited continental regions. This year's recipients of the $150,000 prize are:

Jesús León Santos of Mexico, for his "unprecedented land renewal and economic development program that employs ancient indigenous agricultural practices to transform this barren, highly eroded area into rich, arable land."

Feliciano dos Santos of Mozambique, for "using music to spread the message of ecological sanitation to the most remote corners" of the country, and "empowering villagers to participate in sustainable development and rise up from poverty."

Marina Rikhvanova of Russia, for "successfully campaigning to reroute a destructive petroleum pipeline from the watershed" of Lake Baikal, "one of the most important bodies of fresh water in the world," and for "working to prevent the construction of a uranium enrichment facility in the region."

Pablo Fajardo Mendoza and Luis Yanza of Ecuador, for "leading an unprecedented community-driven legal battle against a global oil giant" and "demanding justice for the massive petroleum pollution in the region."

Ignace Schops of Belgium, for leading the effort to "establish Belgium’s first and only national park," which has "created 400 jobs for the local community and has conserved nature and brought economic revenue to the region."

Rosa Hilda Ramos of Puerto Rico for leading a movement "to permanently protect the Las Cucharillas Marsh, one of the last open spaces in the area and one of the largest wetlands ecosystems in the region," and for convincing the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to "direct millions of dollars in pollution fines to establish long term protection of the Las Cucharillas Marsh."