Coloradoans honored for Green values

Poudre Valley gives 2008 Green Giant Awards

By the Green Party of Colorado

Poudre Valley Green Party has announced the winners of its 2008 Green Giant Awards. This award is given occasionally to individuals and groups in the community who exemplify the 10 Key Values of the Green Party. This yearís winners are Coloradoans Against Resource Destruction (CARD), Save the Poudre, Gailmarie Kimmel and Maury Alberston. Although winners do not need to be members of the Green Party, they all have expressed the essence of Green principles.

CARD has led the fight to protect groundwater, air quality and property rights from the possibility of uranium mining in Weld County.

The Save the Poudre coalition works to defend the endangered Poudre River from overuse and habitat destruction, focusing right now on the proposed Glade Reservoir that would take over half the riverís flow through downtown Fort Collins in an average year.

Gailmarie Kimmel has been a long-time leader in community-localization efforts, from working on the board of the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association, and starting the Local Living Economy Network, to producing the Be Local coupon book, among many endeavors.

Maury Alberston, Colorado State University professor emeritus, is best known as one of the founders of the Peace Corps, but continues to work on sustainable development into his late 80ís through organizations such as Village Earth, which he also co-founded.

The Green Giant awards were presented at the second annual Red, White, Blue and Green Party held July 4 at Avogadroís Number in Fort Collins. ìWe celebrate on July 4th for two reasons,î said local green organizer Eric Fried. ìFirst, renewable energy is national security, meaning Green is the new red, white and blue. Second, itís time to put the party back in the Green Party.î

For information on the awards or Poudre Valley Green Party, please call 970-214-4548.