Allen Hershkowitz
Encyclopedia
Dr. Allen Hershkowitz is a Senior Scientist
at the Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC), where he champions environmental
responsibility. In 2009, Yoga + Joyful Living magazine dubbed him “The Godfather of Greening.” Since joining NRDC in 1988, Dr. Hershkowitz has worked toward large-scale change in the areas of recycling
, mountaintop removal
coal mining
, paper industry impacts, waste incineration, sustainable development and medical wastes.
organizations—including professional sports
leagues and major record labels—go green. He helped lead the greening of the 2007-2010 Academy Awards
, and the 50th, 51st and 52nd Grammy Awards. He earned the United States Environmental Protection Agency
's (EPA) 2008 Environmental Merit Award for his role in the greening of Major League Baseball
(MLB), the National Basketball Association
(NBA), the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) and the National Hockey League
(NHL). Dr. Hershkowitz is a member of the steering committees of the Green Sports Alliance and Broadway Greening Alliance, which he helped establish. He is also a member of the 2011 NCAA Final Four
Sustainability Committee.
, Hugo Neu and Sims Metal Management in their sustainability efforts. His successes include protecting nature in Belize
, Appalachian ranges threatened by mountaintop removal
coal mining
and the boreal
forests. Dr. Hershkowitz was a leader in negotiating NRDC’s 2006 forestry protection settlement with Bowater
Paper Company
, which led to large-scale protections of the Cumberland Plateau
. He was also an originator of NRDC’s “Testing the Waters”, an annual documentation of beach closures.
, 2002). In 2011, he contributed an essay titled "Life is God's Masterpiece" to the J. Henry Fair
book The Day After Tomorrow: Images of Our Earth in Crisis (powerHouse Books
, 2011). From 2006-2008, he was on the editorial board of OnEarth magazine. Other projects he has authored include Waste Incineration & Public Health (National Academy Press: Washington, D.C., Dec. 2002), Too Good to Throw Away: Recycling's Proven Record (New York, NRDC, 1997), Garbage: Practices, Problems and Remedies (New York: INFORM, 1988), Garbage Management in Japan (New York: INFORM, 1987) and Garbage Burning: Lessons from Europe (New York: INFORM, 1986).
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
at the Natural Resources Defense Council
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a New York City-based, non-profit, non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing...
(NRDC), where he champions environmental
Environmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
responsibility. In 2009, Yoga + Joyful Living magazine dubbed him “The Godfather of Greening.” Since joining NRDC in 1988, Dr. Hershkowitz has worked toward large-scale change in the areas of recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, mountaintop removal
Mountaintop removal
Mountaintop removal mining is a form of surface mining that requires the removal of the summit or summit ridge of a mountain in order to permit easier access to the coal seams...
coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
, paper industry impacts, waste incineration, sustainable development and medical wastes.
Greening of Cultural Icons
In recent years, Dr. Hershkowitz has helped iconic AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
organizations—including professional sports
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
leagues and major record labels—go green. He helped lead the greening of the 2007-2010 Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, and the 50th, 51st and 52nd Grammy Awards. He earned the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
's (EPA) 2008 Environmental Merit Award for his role in the greening of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB), the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA), the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) and the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). Dr. Hershkowitz is a member of the steering committees of the Green Sports Alliance and Broadway Greening Alliance, which he helped establish. He is also a member of the 2011 NCAA Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
Sustainability Committee.
Environmental achievements
Dr. Hershkowitz has advised corporations including DuPontDuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
, Hugo Neu and Sims Metal Management in their sustainability efforts. His successes include protecting nature in Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, Appalachian ranges threatened by mountaintop removal
Mountaintop removal
Mountaintop removal mining is a form of surface mining that requires the removal of the summit or summit ridge of a mountain in order to permit easier access to the coal seams...
coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and the boreal
Boreal
Boreal may refer to*Boreal ecosystem**Boreal climate, the climate found in a region of boreal forests, and designated Dfc, Dwc or Dsc in the Köppen climate classification scheme.*boreal forest*Boreal forest of Canada*Boreal Bluet...
forests. Dr. Hershkowitz was a leader in negotiating NRDC’s 2006 forestry protection settlement with Bowater
Bowater
Bowater was an American pulp and paper company based in Greenville, South Carolina. Bowater had 12 pulp and paper mills in the United States, Canada and South Korea and 13 North American sawmills. It had approximately 10,000 employees...
Paper Company
, which led to large-scale protections of the Cumberland Plateau
Cumberland Plateau
The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...
. He was also an originator of NRDC’s “Testing the Waters”, an annual documentation of beach closures.
Publications
As an expert on environmental issues, Dr. Hershkowitz has authored numerous publications including Bronx Ecology: A Blueprint for a New Environmentalism (Island PressIsland press
Island Press is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, environmental publisher based in Washington, D.C., that specializes in natural history, ecology, conservation, and the built environment...
, 2002). In 2011, he contributed an essay titled "Life is God's Masterpiece" to the J. Henry Fair
J. Henry Fair
J Henry Fair is an American photographer, environmental activist, and co-founder and director of the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, NY...
book The Day After Tomorrow: Images of Our Earth in Crisis (powerHouse Books
PowerHouse books
powerHouse Books is an independent publisher of art and photography books founded in 1995 by Daniel Power, and is located near the Brooklyn waterfront of DUMBO in The powerHouse Arena...
, 2011). From 2006-2008, he was on the editorial board of OnEarth magazine. Other projects he has authored include Waste Incineration & Public Health (National Academy Press: Washington, D.C., Dec. 2002), Too Good to Throw Away: Recycling's Proven Record (New York, NRDC, 1997), Garbage: Practices, Problems and Remedies (New York: INFORM, 1988), Garbage Management in Japan (New York: INFORM, 1987) and Garbage Burning: Lessons from Europe (New York: INFORM, 1986).
External links
- Column archive at the Huffington PostThe Huffington PostThe Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...