University of Colorado at Boulder student Eugene Pearson has received the David Brower Youth Award for his work to help make CU-Boulder's building standards some of the most environmentally sound in the country.
The Brower Award is the nation's most prestigious recognition of environmental activists ages 13 to 22 and is given annually to six of the nation's most successful young environmentalists. Named in honor of David Brower, environmentalist and founder of Earth Island Institute, the award includes a $3,000 cash prize and a three-day Wilderness Encounter in Yosemite National Park.
Pearson and the other winners were honored last week at an award ceremony in Berkeley, Calif.
A senior biology major, Pearson is the second CU-Boulder student to receive the Brower Youth Award. Last year it was given to Andrew Azman for his work on the conversion of CU-Boulder buses and trucks from petroleum diesel fuel to vegetable-based biodiesel fuel.
Pearson, who has served as president of the student government's Legislative Council since May, is credited with convincing the university's administration to adopt environmentally friendly "green building" standards.
Last year, when a budget crisis forced Colorado legislators to cut funds to higher education, university officials approached the Legislative Council to ask for a fee hike to help finance the construction of four new campus buildings. As a condition of its support, the council insisted that any new construction meet "green building" standards and that 100 percent of the electricity for the new buildings come from renewable resources.
Pearson's analyses showed that the new building standards would return 10 times the university's investment in saved utility costs over the life of the building. University officials agreed, making CU-Boulder's building standards some of the most environmentally sound in the country.
"I think it was a real education for the senior administration to find themselves having to negotiate the future of the university with an undergraduate student," said Pearson. "But it was also a learning experience for me and I am very honored to have been given the Brower Youth Award."