To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

The ninth annual Rachel Carson Awards were recently handed out to three distinguished leaders in conservation in the Plaza Hotel in Midtown. The award, named for the author of "Silent Spring" and the founder of the modern day conservation movement, is an icon for Audubon.

"The Rachel Carson Award is probably the most coveted award for American women, conservationists and environmentalists," said Allison Rockefeller, the chair of the Rachel Carson Awards council.

One of the honorees was city Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.

"I think women are extraordinarily important. I think that raising families, cooking food, everything from seeing birds in the trees to bread on your plate is really impactful," said Sadik-Khan. "Having a larger sense of family and having a larger sense of community and having a larger sense of what we need to do for the planet is very much a very big concern for women."

The Reverend Canon Sally Bingham of Interfaith Power & Light, another honoree, organized the religious community to become more environmentally friendly.

"How could you love God and love creation and not be a leader in the environmental movement?" asked Bingham.

The third award recipient was Hunter Lovins, the president of Natural Capitalism Solutions, who explained how capitalism and conservation can co-exist.

"When those wild-eyed environmentalists at Goldman Sachs tell you that the companies that are the leaders in the environment, social and good governments policy have 25 percent higher stock value than their less sustainable competitors, there's a business case," said Lovins.

Philanthropy is a bit of a tradition in our family, so it won't surprise you that Allison Rockefeller's middle name is "Whipple." She's my sister, and I'm very proud of her.