IUCN/J.Muntaner
Canadian journalist Noémi Mercier has won the 2008 global prize awarded by Reuters and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for excellence in environmental reporting. Mercier scooped the prize ahead of five other finalists for an article written for Québec Science, entitled "Our computers are poisoning the planet" (Nos ordinateurs empoisonnent la planète).
The article reveals the toxicity produced by waste recycling, tracking the export of computers to India where, instead of supposedly eco-friendly dismantling, the equipment is recycled under the poorest conditions, poisoning thousands of people and the environment.
Mercier received her award, worth US $5000, at a ceremony held during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on 7 October. Presenting the prize, Pavan Sukhdev of Deutsche Bank and study leader of TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) said the competition highlighted stories analysing the world's most pressing environmental problems, while showing solutions for a more sustainable future. "Through this prize, Reuters and IUCN encourage journalists to report on how climate change, loss of species and ecosystems impact on human wellbeing and nature as a whole. It encourages the media to tackle complex issues and provoke action," he said.
The awards, established in 1998 by Reuters Foundation and IUCN, this year attracted around 350 print entries from five continents. Initially six regional winners were selected, with Mercier securing first place for the North America, Oceania and the Caribbean region. The other finalists, each of whom received a trophy, were:
Asia: Hoang Quoc Dung for Bao Tien Phong newspaper, writing about Vietnam’s largest trans-border wildlife trafficking network.
English-speaking Africa and the Middle East: Ochieng’ Ogodo for IslamOnline, reporting on how flower farms around Lake Naivasha in Kenya are polluting and reducing the lake water to the extent that it could disappear within 10-15 years.
Europe: Philip Bethge, Rafaela von Bredow and Christian Schwägerl for Germany’s Spiegel magazine showing how pricetags are being put on corals, rainforests and rare plants for producing food, CO2 sinks and drugs, making the protection of nature more profitable than its destruction.
Francophone Africa: Ramata Soré for the magazine "L’Evénement" reporting how a farm in Burkina Faso is successfully turning desert-like landscapes into flourishing farmland, creating a model for fighting desertification.
Latin America: Augustín del Castillo for Público-Milenio magazine, writing about how real estate speculation in Mexico aimed at American new millionaires is causing major losses in forest cover and putting huge pressure on endangered animal species like the jaguar.
This year's Global Master Jury who selected the winners of the Reuters IUCN Media Awards for Excellence in Environmental Reporting comprised Sean Maguire, Editor of Reuters Political and General News; Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN Director General; Dennis Dimick, Executive Editor, National Geographic Magazine; and Keith Wheeler, Chair of the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication.
A video and photos from the awards can be seen at the IUCN website.
The next competition for the awards will be held in 2010.
Also presented during the World Conservation congress was the 2008 COM+ Communication Award which went to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) for its response to the global food crisis. The judges considered IFPRI had been remarkably innovative and effective, producing timely research on the crisis, raising public awareness about it, informing policymakers and providing an action plan ahead of others.