Rachel Barge, a junior majoring in conservation and resource studies and minoring in forestry, is among six young North American environmental leaders to win a 2007 Brower Youth Award.
Barge was honored for her work in boosting funding for environmental sustainability on the Berkeley campus, including spearheading projects such as The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF), a fee referendum recently passed by students. The fund secured more than $2 million over 10 years for campus sustainability projects, including clean energy, sustainable transportation, improved energy efficiency, water conservation, “green” internships, and improved recycling and composting programs; and it tripled the amount of sustainability funding available.
As director of sustainability on campus for the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC), Barge founded the Sustainability Team, a 60- member group whose projects have included converting the campus’s transportation fleet to biodiesel and establishing Berkeley’s first student-run cooperative organic produce stand.
“Rachel is smart, impassioned and, above all, energetic,” says David Phillips, executive director of Earth Island Institute, which bestowed the award. “She isn’t waiting for environmental solutions to come down from those in power. She is taking action now to conserve, protect, and restore the earth.”
The Brower Youth Award is given annually to young environmentalists selected by the San Francisco-based organization, which was founded in 1982 by veteran environmentalist David Brower to support conservation and preservation projects and recognize leaders.
A ceremony to honor Barge and the other Brower winners was held last fall at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. Winners each received a $3,000 cash prize and are being called upon to participate in skill-building and mentoring workshops to develop future environmental leaders.
“The greatest honor was the opportunity to work with my incredible fellow Cal students to make TGIF happen,” Barge says. “I didn’t do it alone — I have them to thank, and they share this award with me.”
