Image by South Carolina Aquarium The Fourth Annual Environmental Stewardship Awards Gala will recognize the efforts of individuals and organizations that embody the Aquarium’s mission of conservation with the presentation of three awards. Here is all the information from the Battery's press release: CHARLESTON, S.C. The Charleston Battery, former Vice President Al Gore and Dr. Emory Campbell have been awarded 2010 South Carolina Aquarium Environmental Stewardship Awards to be presented May 22, 2010 in Charleston, South Carolina. The Fourth Annual Environmental Stewardship Awards Gala will recognize the efforts of individuals and organizations that embody the Aquarium’s mission of conservation with the presentation of three awards; the Charleston Battery will receive the 2010 Leadership Award. The Leadership Award - Recognizes an individual or group that demonstrates concern for the environment. The 2010 Leadership Award will be presented to the Charleston Battery. Committed to reducing its carbon footprint, The Charleston Battery has implemented a wide range of energy-saving and environmental initiatives at Blackbaud Stadium including an 11KW solar array. The panels, visible to fans in the stadium, can also be seen during nationally televised games and events. “It is a terrific opportunity for us to reduce the stadium’s carbon footprint and utilize our fan base to get the word out to a wider audience about climate change” said Andrew Bell, Charleston Battery President. In addition to the solar array the Battery has completed a comprehensive range of energy saving and environmental initiatives including: installation of a geothermal HVAC system, adding energy-efficient hand-driers, switching out water-heaters to tankless units, replacing concession beer coolers with energy efficient models, switching incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent’s, eliminating bottled water from the stadium, replacing selected urinals with waterless units and implementing a comprehensive recycling program. In addition the Battery hosts an annual ‘Go Green’ night at a home game each summer to highlight local green initiatives and companies The Legacy Award - Recognizes individuals whose lifelong work has inspired others to care about conservation. The 2010 Legacy Award will be presented to Former Vice President Al Gore. Al Gore is Chairman of Current TV, an Emmy Award-winning, independently owned, cable and satellite television nonfiction network. He also serves as chairman of Generation Investment Management, a firm that is focused on a new approach to sustainable investing. He is a Visiting Professor at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and chairs the Alliance for Climate Protection, a non-profit organization designed to help solve the climate crisis. Al Gore was inaugurated as the forty-fifth vice president of the United States on January 20, 1993, and served eight years. He served as President of the Senate, a Cabinet member, a member of the National Security Council, and as the leader of a wide range of Administration initiatives. Al Gore is the author of the bestsellers Earth in the Balance and An Inconvenient Truth and is the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary. Al Gore is the co-winner, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for “informing the world of the dangers posed by climate change.” The Achievement Award - Recognizes a dedicated conservationist who has made a significant contribution to protecting wildlife and wild places. The 2010 Achievement Award will be presented to Dr. Emory Campbell. A renowned community leader among the Gullah community, he was born and raised on Hilton Head Island before the island was connected to the mainland by a bridge. Dr. Campbell has spent his life working to connect the Gullah people with the outside world. In the 1970’s, Campbell worked as a Community Development Activist to preserve Gullah tradition and lands from ever expanding resort developments. Campbell served as the Executive Director of the Penn Center on Saint Helena Island from 1980-2002 and he currently holds the position of Director Emeritus. The Fourth Annual Environmental Stewardship Awards Gala is a black-tie affair on Liberty Square featuring dinner, dancing and the Environmental Stewardship Awards presentation. The event generates funding to benefit the conservation programs of the South Carolina Aquarium. For more information about the Environmental Stewardship Awards Gala call (843)720-1990 or visit www.scaquarium.org. ###The Charleston Battery, former Vice President Al Gore and Dr. Emory Campbell have been awarded 2010 South Carolina Aquarium Environmental Stewardship Awards to be presented May 22nd.
