PennFuture celebrated 25 years of fighting climate change and industrial pollution by holding anniversary celebrations in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to honor seven Pennsylvanians for their contributions to restoring and protecting the environment.

Since 1998, PennFuture has combined legislative advocacy and legal enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels, educational outreach, and civic engagement support for just and equitable environmental outcomes that improve the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians.

The individuals recognized include--

-- Lifetime Achievement Award: John Dawes, Founder & former Executive Director, Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds

-- Lifetime Achievement Award: Joseph Otis Minott, Former Executive Director, Clean Air Council

-- Climate Champion Award: Michael Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media, University of Pennsylvania

-- Champion of the Environment Award: Rep. Napoleon Nelson, State Representative, 154th Legislative District, Chair, Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus

-- Champion of the Environment Award: Sara Innamorato, Allegheny County Executive

-- Volunteer Award: Peg Church, Environmental Advocate, Bethlehem, PA resident

-- Volunteer Award: Fred Kraybill, Environmental Advocate

Learn more about their accomplishments.

John Dawes - Lifetime Achievement Award

PennFuture honored John Dawes, an environmental leader, with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades-long career in environmental restoration.

Dawes founded the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds in 1994 and served as its Executive Director for 30 years. The organization's mission is to protect and restore Pennsylvania's waterways while investing in local communities.

In his career with FPW, he supervised small grants totaling $14 million to environmental and watershed associations throughout the state. He retired in January 2024.

Acid Mine Drainage remains Pennsylvania's largest source of water pollution, impairing more than 5,500 miles of streams.

Dawes was instrumental in the reauthorization of the federal Abandoned Mine Lands Fund in 2006 and served as Chair of the campaign that led to Pennsylvania receiving $1 billion to address Pennsylvania’s mining legacy of more than 185,000 acres of unsafe, mine-scarred lands.

Dawes also testified before the US Senate Mineral Resources Committee at the request of Senator Bob Casey to help secure The Stream Act passage, which allowed more federal money to be available to Pennsylvania municipalities and citizen groups for water restoration projects.

He was appointed as a mediator by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to work with the environmental community and industry to establish better regulations for water quality monitoring in areas impacted by coal ash.

In addition to his work with the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, Mr. Dawes owns a purebred Angus farm in Huntingdon County where he employs sustainable and conservation farming practices.

Joseph Otis Minott - Lifetime Achievement Award

PennFuture honored Joseph Otis Minott, an environmental law leader, with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades-long career fighting for the environment and public health in Pennsylvania.

On December 31, 2023, he retired from the Clean Air Council after serving as the organization's executive director and chief counsel for over 35 years.

Minott's work emphasizes the importance of public policy.

He began working for the Clean Air Council as a staff attorney in 1982. He led a growing team of lawyers, organizers, and policy experts to advocate for clean air, clean water, and climate action.

His staff has described him as having extensive knowledge of environmental policy and unwavering enthusiasm for Pennsylvania.

Throughout his career, Minott and the Clean Air Council earned a reputation for holding government agencies and fossil fuel companies accountable.

A prolific writer, Mr. Minott penned several impactful Op-Eds year over year for newspapers across Pennsylvania.

Mr. Minott holds two degrees in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Villanova University School of Law.

Michael Mann - Climate Champion Award

PennFuture honored Dr. Michael E. Mann, one of the world's best-known climate scientists and author, with the Climate Champion Award for his life's research on climate studies and the impacts of human-caused climate change.

PennFuture also recognizes Dr. Mann for his courageous defense of fellow paleoclimatologists.

In media interviews and on social media, Dr. Mann regularly speaks out against climate deniers and those who falsely attack climate scientists.

He is the author of over 200 peer-reviewed and edited publications and six books, including 2023's Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from Earth's Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis.

The term "hockey stick graph" was coined to describe the pattern shown by a scholarly publication he co-authored—Mann, Bradley & Hughes 1999 (MBH99)—that revealed the hemispherical mean temperature record of the past 500 to 2000 years.

In 2002, Scientific American named Dr. Mann one of the fifty leading visionaries in science and technology, and in 2012, he received the Hans Oeschger Medal of the European Geophysical Union.

Dr. Mann received his undergraduate degrees in Physics and Applied Math from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.S. in Physics from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in Geology & Geophysics from Yale University.

He’s a former Board Member of PennFuture. Today, he is a Presidential Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania.

Rep. Napoleon Nelson - Champion for the Environment

PennFuture honored Rep. Napoleon Nelson with the Champion of the Environment Award for his commitment to environmental justice and green technologies in Philadelphia and across the state.

Since assuming elected office in 2020, Rep. Nelson has built an environmental platform that aims to increase funding and staffing for the Department of Environmental Protection, as well as increase fines for industries that pollute.

He has publicly called for investments in clean energy, green technologies, and environmental research.

Rep. Nelson has been supportive of municipal efforts to transition local government facilities to 100% clean and renewable energy.

He also encourages policies that empower local leaders and school districts to implement sustainability projects like solar expansion and EV charging infrastructure.

He understands the pressing need to act on climate change and has convened three “Our Environmental Future” conferences to raise awareness about environmental issues in Pennsylvania communities and encourage collaboration to address the climate crisis. His fourth conference is scheduled for Friday, April 19, 2024.

Rep. Nelson is a proud alumnus of Central High School in Philadelphia and holds degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Sara Innamorator - Champion for the Environment

PennFuture honored Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato with the Champion of the Environment Award for her firm stance on holding polluters accountable and promoting clean manufacturing jobs.

Innamorato is a lifelong resident of the Pittsburgh area and became the first woman to hold Allegheny County's highest elected office in January 2024, after running on a campaign platform that prioritized clean air, environmental justice, green jobs, and a ban on fracking in the Ohio River Valley.

As County Executive, she is responsible for overseeing and operating 20 departments under the jurisdiction of the executive branch.

Before being elected County Executive, Innamorato served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 21st District, where she introduced several environmental bills, including one that closed the hazardous oil and gas waste loophole that endangers our drinking water.

She advocates for setting clear and strict industry standards that protect public health and the environment. Innamorato is a strong voice for the environment and has publicly committed to promoting sustainability and protecting the environment in Allegheny County.

Peg Church - Volunteer Award

PennFuture honored Peg Church with the Volunteer Award for her years of environmental advocacy in Pennsylvania.

Ms. Church joined PennFuture’s membership in 2021 and has since been an active volunteer, serving as a climate advocate, and writing Letters-to-the-Editor on climate change issues.

Prior to her involvement in environmental advocacy, Ms. Church was an elementary school counselor in Philadelphia until 2014.

During her career, she supported students who were frequently affected by asthma, which was worsened by air pollution.

She witnessed several children experiencing severe asthma attacks that required first responders to be called to the school, and the children to be transported to the hospital.

These breathing problems made it difficult for children to access their education fully.

Ms. Church's interest in environmental advocacy was sparked when she accompanied a friend to hear Dr. Michael Mann's speech at Lehigh University.

She feels that receiving the Volunteer Award from PennFuture is like completing a circle, being in the company of Dr. Mann and the two other award recipients.

She strongly believes that young people understand the issues of air, water quality, and climate change more clearly than many adults.

 Her letter writing is a determined effort to create a better environment and future for all children, including her grandchildren.

Fred Krabill - Volunteer Award

PennFuture honored Fred Kraybill with the Volunteer Award for his years of climate and clean energy advocacy in Pennsylvania.

Kraybill's involvement in climate activism began after watching the documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" in 2006.

He was concerned about the worldwide consumption of fossil fuels and its impact on climate change. As a result, he volunteered with several climate action groups to advocate for renewable energy and electric vehicle infrastructure.

In 2011, Kraybill purchased his first electric car, a Chevy Volt. His commitment to clean energy then extended to his home, where he installed an array of solar panels in 2012 to power his entire home and rental properties.

In 2015, he continued to push for a fossil fuel-free lifestyle by adding geothermal energy to his home as well.

Kraybill has played a significant role in several clean energy initiatives in Pittsburgh.

He has featured his home as a part of PennFuture’s Solar Tour, organized Pittsburgh's SolarFest and is a member of Solarize Allegheny, Citizen's Climate Change, and 350 Pittsburgh.

In 2017, he even organized bus transportation for local activists to attend the People's Climate March in Washington, D.C.

As a PennFuture volunteer, he has participated in several electric vehicle (EV) events with his Chevy Volt to showcase American-made, clean-energy cars and is a member of PennFuture's President's Leadership Council.

In November 2023, Kraybill was a key speaker at a press conference in Pittsburgh's Strip District, celebrating the over $36 million in federal funding for Pennsylvania to help build out more EV charging stations, thanks to the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Kraybill leads by example, and most importantly, is happy to educate others on how they can reduce their carbon footprint.

He ends his speeches with his tagline: “The Solution to Pollution is Renewable, it's doable!

Visit the PennFuture website for more information on programs, initiatives, upcoming events and how you can get involved.

(Photos: John Dawes, Joseph Otis Minott, Michael Mann; Row 2- Rep. Napoleon Nelson, Sara Innamorato, Allegheny County Executive, Peg Church, Fred Kraybill)

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-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: ‘We Are At Exciting Precipice Of Really Significant, Positive Change’ After Tioga River Gets $68 Million For Abandoned Mine Drainage Treatment

-- TribLive: ‘Liability’ To ‘Tremendous Asset’: How Johnstown’s Stonycreek River Has Gone From Toxic Mine Drainage To Recreational Hub

[Posted: May 17, 2024]

5/20/2024