The Daily Green Announces 2010 Heart of Green Award Winners

NEW YORK, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Hearst's green lifestyle website The Daily Green is proud to announce the winners of its 2010 Heart of Green Awards, honoring people, organizations and companies that take being green to "heart." The awards will be given out tonight at an invitation-only ceremony at New York City's LEED Gold-certified Hearst Tower.  Actress, Waterkeeper Alliance board member and 2009 honoree Gloria Reuben will emcee the event.  This year's honorees include actor Ted Danson (Oceana board member, HBO's "Bored to Death"), chef Jamie Oliver (ABC's "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution") and Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian, founders of Edible Communities, the organization that publishes the Edible magazines.

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"The Heart of Green Awards celebrate individuals whose work is aligned with The Daily Green's mission – to inspire real people to go green," said Dan Shapley, editor of The Daily Green. "This year's honorees embody that mission by championing some of today's most important causes, including ocean conservation, healthy seasonal eating, urban parks creation and climate change."

"In just three years The Daily Green has built a loyal audience and become a trusted name in the green space online. Bringing the brand to life at an event was a natural evolution, and Home Depot was a perfect partner to help us do this," said Kristine Welker, VP, Marketing & Sales of Hearst Digital Media. "With their Eco Options label, Home Depot provides consumers with any easy way to choose products that have the least impact on the environment."

The 2010 Heart of Green Award winners are:

Lifetime Achievement: Ted Danson

The Emmy and Golden-Globe Award-winning actor has been one of the nation's most prominent ocean conservation advocates for more than three decades. He founded the American Oceans Campaign in 1987, and has been an active board member of Oceana since the two organizations merged in 2002. In 2009 he narrated the acclaimed documentary "End of the Line," about overfishing, and in 2011 he will publish his first book, a celebratory and cautionary look at the state of the world's oceans.

The Food Revolutionary: Jamie Oliver

Through his ABC reality show "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution," he is promoting a message that reconnects America to its food roots, and — importantly — gets healthy, real foods into America's schools.

The Role Model: Josie Maran

Josie Maran served as the face of national cosmetic brands for nearly a decade, so when she launched her own line in 2007, the beauty world took notice. When she signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, certifying that her brand would avoid toxic chemicals found in other brands, it signified the emergence of a new kind of spokeswoman.  She speaks not only for beauty, but for "luxury with a conscience."

The Guardian: Dr. Philip Landrigan

A pioneer in the study of the effects of environmental pollutants on chronic childhood diseases, Dr. Landrigan played a key role in reducing exposure to lead, pesticides and other toxic chemicals. He's leading the Children's Health Study, which will follow the health outcomes of thousands of American children for more than 20 years in order to identify causes of chronic childhood illnesses like asthma, autism, obesity and attention deficit disorders.

The Ground Breakers: Tracey Ryder + Carole Topalian

Local food advocates, they founded Edible Communities, the organization that publishes nearly 60 local Edible magazines, and authored the forthcoming book "Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods." Accepting on their behalf will be: Stephen Munshin (Publisher) and Brian Halweil (Executive Editor) of Edible Manhattan.

The Steward: John Flicker

For 15 years, John Flicker led the National Audubon Society, expanding its reach as an organization beyond its traditional role as an advocate for birds and birdwatchers. Through citizen science, local Audubon centers and other efforts, Flicker worked to engage millions of bird lovers in the pressing issues of today, including global warming.  

Local Hero:  Fred Schaeffer

Fred Schaeffer led the transformation of a decaying railroad bridge spanning the Hudson River into New York's newest state park, Walkway Over the Hudson. The reconstruction of the bridge, dormant since a fire in the 1970s, has also revitalized the City of Poughkeepsie, as hundreds of thousands of tourists have streamed to the Walkway Over the Hudson since it opened in October 2009.

For more information about The Heart of Green Awards, visit http://www.TheDailyGreen.com/awards.

The Daily Green, a Top 5 ad-supported green media site, is a trusted source of "real green for real people." It's a comprehensive source of environmental news, tips, recipe and information about "going green." Earth Day 2010 will mark The Daily Green's third anniversary. The Daily Green's accolades include a 2007 MIN Best of the Web Award for Best New Website, and a 2010 Best of Green Reader's Choice Award for "Best Blog Covering Environmental Culture."

Launched in March 2006, Hearst Magazines Digital Media, a unit of Hearst Magazines, is dedicated to creating and implementing the digital strategy for Hearst's magazine brands and other sites which serve the company's consumer audience.  The unit has launched, re-launched or acquired 25 websites and 11 mobile sites for brands such as Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire and Seventeen, as well as non-magazine brand sites such as Delish.com, a food site in partnership with MSN; TheDailyGreen.com; RealBeauty.com; social shopping site Kaboodle.com, and RealAge.com, a consumer health site.  

Hearst Corporation, the parent company of Hearst Magazines, has been at the forefront of raising awareness for and addressing environmental concerns.  Among Hearst's accomplishments on the environmental front, the most recognized are building in 2007 the Hearst Tower, the first gold LEED-certified building in New York (honored by Global Green USA); partnering with the State of California, California Rangeland Trust and American Land Conservancy in 2005 to form the largest conservation easement (http://www.hearstranchconservation.org) in history (82,000 acres) in San Simeon, Calif.; and participating in philanthropic tree planning through the National Arbor Day Foundation (www.arborday.org) and New York Restoration Project. Riverkeeper (www.riverkeeper.org), vice chaired by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., honored Hearst in 2007 for its support of the organization.

SOURCE The Daily Green