We are tipping our hats to Gulf Coast activist and environmental scientist Wilma Subra for her unyielding frontline work on exposing the true extent of the damage surrounding the BP oil spill. From the very beginning of this disaster, Wilma has been down in the trenches fighting for the people of the Gulf Coast. As a technical adviser for the Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN), she has been relentless in her search for the truth – and doing so in the face of stiff industry adversity.
When others ran for cover, Wilma never backed down from calling a spade, a spade despite the fact that it put her reputation at stake.
Her work on the harsh realities of the spill – from the impact on the environment to marine life to human health – will be honored June 1, 2011 as the Domestic Honoree at the prestigious 9th Annual Human Rights Awards. She’s in good company: The 2011 International Honoree is U.N. Ambassador for Bolivia Pablo Solón, a champion of climate justice and environmental protection. Global Exchange’s Human Rights Awards are grounded in their commitment to ensuring that the rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are respected and upheld by the world’s governments and private institutions.
Wilma, as president of The Subra Company (New Iberia, Louisiana), has been holding industry accountable for damage to both the environment and human health for 30 years. She served as vice-chair of the EPA National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), and she appeared in the 2010 Oscar-nominated documentary Gasland, which indicted the oil and gas industry for its reckless practices.
Thank you Wilma! You’re an inspiration to us all.
See the alert on LEAN’s website: http://leanweb.org/news/latest/wilma-subra-wins-2011-human-rights-award.html
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