*EPF309 04/23/2003
Text: EPA Presents Awards for Actions to Protect Climate and Ozone Layer
(Winners include individuals and organizations from around the world) (780)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has presented awards to 23 individuals and organizations from around the world for taking actions to protect the Earth's climate and stratospheric ozone layer.
A press release says the award recipients, who were announced in Washington, D.C. April 22 as part of the national Earth Day celebration, have demonstrated ingenuity, leadership and public purpose by achieving a reduction of ozone-depleting and heat-trapping gas emissions.
The ozone layer protects the Earth from harmful solar radiation, and heat-trapping greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels, contribute to global warming. EPA says the actions of the award recipients will help protect against risks such as skin cancer, cataracts and rising sea levels.
This year's Climate Protection Award winners included companies, organizations and individuals in the United States, India, China and South Korea. The 2003 Stratospheric Ozone Protection Awards went to companies, organizations and individuals in the United States, Australia, Argentina, Germany, Japan and Vietnam.
For the first time this year, EPA announced a Lifetime Atmospheric Achievement Award to recognize longstanding work to protect both the climate and ozone layer. The SC Johnson household products company of Racine, Wisconsin won the award for its early recognition that the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in propellant products was damaging to the atmosphere. The company stopped using CFCs in its own products in 1975 and was critical in raising public and corporate awareness of the issue.
Further information on the awards can be found at the following Web sites: www.epa.gov/cppd/awards/climproawards.htm
www.epa.gov/docs/ozone/awards
Following is the text of the press release:
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
April 22, 2003
Whitman Honors Individuals and Organizations for Actions To Protect Climate and Stratospheric Ozone
Tonight, as part of the national Earth Day celebration, EPA Administrator Christie Whitman will present awards to 23 individuals and organizations from around the world for their actions to protect the Earth's climate and stratospheric ozone layer. This year, for the first time, EPA is also bestowing a Lifetime Atmospheric Achievement Award, in recognition of longstanding work to protect both the climate and ozone layer. All award recipients have demonstrated ingenuity, leadership and public purpose by achieving reduction of ozone-depleting and heat-trapping gas emissions. By reducing these emissions they will protect against risks such as skin cancer, cataracts, increased range for certain diseases and rising sea levels. The awards will be presented at an Earth Day evening event at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
"The people, organizations and communities recognized by the Climate, Ozone, and Atmospheric Achievement awards are making impressive contributions to environmental protection," said Administrator Christie Whitman. "Their work represents the ingenuity and effort that is needed to protect the Earth's atmosphere, and these are the leaders in this international effort," she continued.
Since the annual Stratospheric Protection Awards began in 1990, EPA has awarded 461 individuals and organizations from 39 countries for notable achievements. EPA began the Climate Protection Awards in 1998 and has so far recognized 81 individuals and organizations from 14 countries. This year, there are nine winners of the Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award, 13 winners of the Climate Protection Award, and one winner of the Lifetime Atmospheric Achievement Award.
2003 Lifetime Atmospheric Achievement Award:
SC Johnson, Racine, Wisc.
2003 Climate Protection Award Winners:
Corporate and Government Awards
Center for Power Efficiency and Environmental Protection (CenPEEP), New Delhi, India
Chicago Department of Environment, Chicago, Ill.
China National Institute of Standardization (CNIS), Beijing, China
City of Chula Vista, Calif.
Emerald Homes, Houston, Texas
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), San Francisco, Calif.
City of Seattle, Wash.
Organization and Association Awards
Green House Network, Portland, Oregon
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), Berkeley, Calif.
The Society of Automotive Engineers - Interior Climate Control Standards Committee, Phoenix, Ariz.
Individual Awards
Mayor Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson, Salt Lake City, Utah
Dr. Seunghun Joh, Korea Environment Institute, South Korea
David Konkle, Ann Arbor Energy Office, Mich.
2003 Stratospheric Ozone Protection Awards:
Corporate and Government Awards
Carpenter Company and Bally Refrigerated Boxes, Richmond, Va. and Morehead City, N.C.
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y.
ExxonMobil Chemical Fluids Business Unit, Houston, Texas
Individual Awards
Milton Catelin, Environment Australia, Australia
Dr. Ian J. Porter, Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Australia
Stephan Sicars, Siccon Consulting, Germany
Akio Tateya, Japan Fumigation Technology Association, Japan
Dr. Dao Duc Tuan, Climate Change and Ozone Protection Office, Vietnam
Ing.Agr. (MSc) Alejandro H. Valeiro, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Argentina
For further technical information about the EPA's Climate Protection, Stratospheric Ozone Protection, and Lifetime Atmospheric Achievement Awards, go to: www.epa.gov/cppd/awards/climproawards.htm or www.epa.gov/docs/ozone/awards
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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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