Thought Question: What actions can individuals take to help protect the environment, and how can we follow the example of people who have made a positive impact in their communities and the world? Each year, the Goldman Environmental Foundation (GEF) awards the Goldman Prizes. They are given to people who worked hard to protect the environment. GEF awards six prizes annually. They are divided by geographic region. Here are 2025’s honorees, announced Monday. Laurene Allen, North America. Allen, 62, educates people on the dangers of so-called “forever chemicals” in waterways. Semia Gharbi, Africa. Gharbi, 57, helped stop illegal shipping of waste to Tunisia by Italian freight companies. Batmunkh Luvsandash, Asia. Luvsandash, 81, successfully fought for the protection of 66,000 acres of Mongolian desert. It is home to several endangered species. Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika, Europe. Guri, 37, and Nika, 39, campaigned to save the Vjosa River from a dam project. Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari, South and Central America. Murayari, 56, is a member of Peru’s Kukama Indigenous peoples. They live along the Marañón River. Murayari got Peruvian courts to recognize the river as a person. That secured protections for the region. Carlos Mallo Molina, Islands and Island Nations. Molina, 36, advocated for a marine conservation and education center in the Canary Islands. It will potentially protect hundreds of species of fishes, birds, and marine reptiles. Photo of Goldman Prize honorees courtesy of The Goldman Environmental Prize.
