Recently, the 2009 Brower Youth Award recipients were featured as part of LinkTV’s Earth Focus programming. LinkTV’s Earth Focus series “features under-publicized stories on how changes to the Earth's resources & climate are affecting people all around the world.” The episode also featured a story on Google Earth’s impact on the preservation of the culture of Brazil’s Surui people and the rainforests where they live and how low emission Chinese stoves are changing lives in South Africa.

The episode ends by telling the stories of all six 2009 Brower Youth Award recipients and by highlighting the accomplishments of Dave Brower, BYA, and Earth Island.

Watch the episode here: http://www.linktv.org/video/5145/earth-focus-episode-20-technology-and-the-environment

And, watch for the episode to air on LinkTV between March 29th and April 1st, 2010. 

The Rolex Awards “support enterprising individuals who are making the world a better place”. Alexander Srodes, a 2005 BYA winner and current finalist for the Rolex Awards for Enterprise: Young Laureates Programme, is doing just that-- making the world a better place. The program searches for growing pioneers to provide them with support and encouragement to help create tomorrow’s leaders. The winners receive $50,000 over two years to advance their project and publicity through the Rolex Awards Program.

Alexander is one of 27 finalists from 16 countries with projects that are destined to impact the world. His project promotes conservation of sea turtles through a children’s activity book and an educational campaign. During his Turtle Talks and through its availability online, thousands of copies have been distributed all over the world and it has been translated into Spanish and French. Srodes explains his dedication to his work-- “I became aware of the dismal plight of these animals and it became my dream to educate and inspire people to help protect them.”

We wish Zander the best of luck in The Rolex Awards Programme! Winners will be announced in April.

Forces of Nature profiles the inspirational grassroots work of 12 young people recognized with the nation's top environmental prize for young people - the Brower Youth Awards.  Among those profiled in short 4-5 minute segments are talented young people who are:

- Transforming the food and eating practices at universities across California.
-Leading a group of 200 students advocating a transition to biomass heating in Vermont.
-Launching a company that focuses on energy efficiency projects led by community members.
- Training hundreds of young people to become climate champions.
- Launching a non-profit to create a migratory corridor in the Costa Rican rainforest.
- Educating a community about the dangers of living near dirty coal-fired power plants.

The DVD can be viewed in two 25 minute segments, or in 12 short segments. Teachers who promote service learning and community engagement will find this an inspirational tool for their students.

Order the film today!

            At the age of 22, after finishing her undergraduate theses, naturally the next step for native Angeleno Kesha Ram was to secure a seat in the Vermont House of Representatives, becoming the youngest person and the only person of color to do so.

Well it wasn’t that simple, but considering Kesha’s long history of activism and her participation in student and local governments while an undergrad at the University of Vermont well prepared her for her position. She was endorsed by numerous state senators and representatives, and also the youngest woman to be endorsed by Emily’s List .

On November 17^th, 2008 environmental activists, former coal miners, Navajo tribe members and a Wyoming rancher came together in Charleston, West Virginia to discuss the negative impact that coal has had on their lives and their communities.

These people and many more came together to form the Power Past Coal
initiative, an organization created to unify those working to end the destructive forces of coal mining, spearheaded and organized by Sierra Crane-Murdoch, a student at Vermont’s Middlebury college.

Power past coal initiated the 100 days of action, a movement that connected many different anti-coal events throughout the country: one event each day for the first 100 days of Obama’s presidency. By the end of the campaign there were over 300 hundred events, ranging from lobbying days to protests to rallies to teach-ins and permit hearings. In total there were over 300 actions in 100 days in all fifty states; thirty-five organizations joined the project, and four dozen more that participated; and there were over 500 lobby meetings with Congress.

“Our goal was to collect stories from communities impacted by coal …and convince President Obama, the EPA, the CEQ, and our Congressmen and women to enact the policies that would allow our country to “swiftly and justly” transition away from coal,” said Murdoch.

Among these actions was the March 2nd civil disobedience at the Capitol Coal Plant, which shut down operation for four hours and convinced the district to stop burning coal. Similarly, an April protest in North Carolina lead to 44 arrests for trespassing.

The Power Past Coal project was immensely successful, engaging a nationwide network of communities impacted by coal who had never worked together before. And it seemed the government began to listen: over the course of the project there were five mountaintop removal permits revoked, more than twenty new coal plant permits denied, and commitments from the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide from coal plants and coal ash from slurry ponds.