Seven ‘green’ leaders, instrumental in bringing environmental issues to the forefront of political action, were celebrated as the 2006 Champions of the Earth at a gala event in Singapore hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme, the Singapore Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and the Singapore Tourism Board.
The awards are presented in recognition of the leadership, creativity and vision that each leader has demonstrated. The winners will share their hopes in advancing the cause of the environment.
Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher from Ethiopia, Africa, who championed against the patenting of life forms and for community rights in Africa said that with the myriad of environmental problems that now exist, “the world will need many more champions.”
Singapore’s Tommy Koh, who dedicated much of his life to key environmental treaties talked about the need to harmonize economic progress with caring for nature. “In this century Asia will be the most economically dynamic region of the world. This holds both great promise and great peril because if we do things in the same old way, Asia could pollute the world. But, if Asia were to learn the lessons of the West and avoid the errors and if we embrace sustainable development, then the future is very bright,” he says.
Mikhail Gorbachev of Russia worked to encourage shared water to become a source of cooperation among Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians, and engaged in mediation efforts at the highest level. He emphasises the need for “decisive change and working closely with civil society to find solutions to water issues and to strengthen the right of every person to good quality drinking water.”
Rosa Elena Simeon Negrin’s steadfast, committed and work has been vital for fostering the notion of sustainability and for raising the environmental awareness of Cubans. Fondly remembered by voters in her native Cuba for her simplicity and modest way of life, she highlights the “role that ordinary citizens can play in the protection of the environment.
Executive Director, June Zeitlin and eight women leaders from the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), which advocates for women’s empowerment and gender equality in global policy-making forums, will continue to be “a strong voice at the UN and global fora so that the lives of women and men around the world, particularly those who are poor, get a little better.”
Mohamed El-Ashry’s most significant achievement is his 12-year role in re-structuring and managing the Global Environment Facility (GEF), for which he served as its first Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. He says, “While being at conferences and meetings is important, we need to go out and see how projects are being implemented, how they touch people’s lives and how they improve the environment.”
Massoumeh Ebtekar, Iran’s first woman vice-president, has influenced the integration of environmental considerations into the industry and energy sectors in Iran and, thanks to her efforts, clean production technologies and environmental accounting and management systems have been integrated into the country’s petrochemical industry.
“Each of these seven laureates is a change catalyst. They have mobilized support and pushed the environmental envelope forward at the highest decision-making levels and need to be recognized,” said Shafqat Kakakhel, Officer in Charge, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP.
The Champions of the Earth ceremony is organized with the support of various sponsors and partners. The Champions of the Earth award, a new international environment award established in 2004, is presented by UNEP each year to outstanding environmental achievers and leaders. No monetary reward is attached to the prize. Each laureate receives a trophy made of recycled metal especially designed by the Kenyan sculptor Kioko. The trophy represents the fundamental elements for life on Earth — sun, air, land and water.
UNEP invites nominations from individuals who have made a significant and recognized contribution globally, regionally and beyond, to the protection and sustainable management of the Earth’s environment and natural resources. — Samina Iqbal
Peripheral artery disease
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) can affect the arteries of the legs and 20% of adults over 55 years of age are found to suffer from it. This was stated in a recent issue of the Journal of American Medical Association. Half of the people with PAD are asymptomatic. The prevalence of PAD increases with age and prolonged exposure to smoking, hypertension and diabetes. About 20% of the people with PAD have the typical symptoms as pain in legs on walking or even at rest, ulceration or gangrene.
With the aging of the population, especially in western countries, the burden of PAD and its complications are likely to increase. This can be reduced by effective, affordable and widely available preventive measures. Smoking is the dominant risk factor for PAD. It has a dose dependent relationship with the severity of PAD. Smoking cessation reduces the severity of leg pain on walking and the risk of developing rest pain. It may not significantly improve walking capacity. On the contrary, exercise improves maximal walking time and is better than angioplasty. The mechanism for this phenomenon is unknown. Statins or lipid lowering drugs improve pain free walking time through non-cholesterol lowering properties.
Blood pressure lowering drugs as atenolol and nifedipine are helpful and ACEI improve walking distance. Cilostazol inhibits platelet aggregation and causes dilatation of arteries and improves walking distance and pain fsree walking distance. It should not be given to patients with heart failure. Numerous other treatments as Ticlopidine, gingko biloba, and carnitine are few of them.
PAD can be prevented and if present, the symptoms can be reduced by means of lifestyle changes and effective medical therapies. — Dr Fatema Jawad
‘Green’ leaders honoured
