4-24-07 by Court
Irish farmer William Corduff is in California to claim his Goldman prize. Corduff stopped Shell Oil from building a high pressure pipeline to connect proposed off-shore gas production with a refinery six miles away by going to jail for 94 days. Corduff and four others refused Shell access to their property and became known as the "Rossport Five," after their hometown. Their resistance drew national attention to Shell’s disrespect of international and environmental laws.
Corduff just received the Goldman Prize and said:
“The bottom line is we will not lie down. We cannot. There is too much at stake. We’d have to leave our homes if we were to accept this. We have to protect ourselves, because no one else will.”
Richard Goldman is a wealthy Bay Area philantrhopist who set up the awards to draw a spotlight on environmemntal protection heroes across the globe. Goldman is in 80s and has stunning deep blue eyes that glisten like the Caribbean. I met him in his home last year when I was campaigning for campaign finance reform. Goldman was a gracious host and explained that his "Oscars" for the environment were part of his campaign to make environmental protection a bipartsan isssue. A registered Republican who supports Democrats, Goldman wants both political parties to embrace protection of the planet. His awards are delivered each year at a gala at the San Francisco Opera House.
Thanks to Goldman, Corduff’s story of resistance is being heard outside Ireland. Corduff should remind us all to remember and abide by Corduff’s bottom line: "We will not lie down"