May 1, 2009—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing the achievements of more than 40 individuals, organizations and companies actively contributing to the restoration and protection of the Earth’s ozone layer and climate system, as well as the university teams who won the annual People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) competition.
The Ozone Layer Protection Awards were established in 1990 to recognize outstanding contributions to ozone layer protection. Winners for 2009 have enforced regulations on ozone-depleting substances, increased public awareness of skin cancer prevention, and developed advanced supermarket refrigerant technologies, explains EPA. The winners are also responsible for eliminating ozone-depleting substances in medical, pest control and agricultural applications, where alternatives are difficult to implement.
The Climate Protection Awards were established in 1998 to recognize companies, organizations, and individuals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Winners for 2009 have made exceptional contributions to climate protection. Collectively, their actions are expected to avoid the equivalent of more than 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2020, says EPA. The winners are achieving these savings by slashing energy consumption, unveiling innovative renewable energy technologies, initiating state policies to address climate change, and promoting international action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
The People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) award competition, held at EPA’s Annual National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., encourages college students to apply technology in innovative ways to tackle global environmental challenges, explains EPA. P3 designs must be economically profitable, which is why each winner receives funding up to $75,000 to commercialize their designs. This year’s winning teams are: University of Arizona, Columbia University, Drexel University,
University of South Florida, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
