Rock the Earth announces Planet Defender Awards

Colorado-based environmental organization Rock the Earth has announced its 2009 Planet Defender Awards, in conjunction with their national Rock the Earth Day celebration. Grammy-nominated rock band Incubus, Green For All Founder Van Jones, and Jessy Tolkan, Executive Director of the Energy Action Coalition, were selected as the winners in three categories. Planet Defender recipients are nominated by Rock the Earth members and chosen by Rock the Earth's National Volunteer Staff.

This year's winner in the ARTIST category, Grammy-nominated Incubus, funds the Make Yourself Foundation , which has raised over One Million dollars to date. The band funds the foundation by donating a portion of the proceeds generated from touring, record royalties, online auctions of concert tickets and memorabilia, and special events, to support various causes and charities both locally and around the world. Fueling their tour buses with clean-burning biodiesel, printing posters and flyers on 100-percent post-consumer recycled paper with soy ink, serving organic food backstage, offering fans organic cotton T-shirts and working with venues to increase recycling are just a few of the other steps the band has taken to ensure it stays green.

Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd said: "We are so fortunate to have this amazing opportunity to share music with so many people! And we are very proud to share Earth consciousness with those who come and listen. Thank you very much! And may this be just another rung in the ladder towards a brighter, more aware planet."

Van Jones is thefounder of Green For All. He is also a TIME Magazine 2008 Environmental Hero and one of Fast Company's 12 Most Creative Minds of 2008. The author of The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Solve Our Two Biggest Problems, Van was recently appointed Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Green For All is a U.S. organization that promotes green-collar jobs and opportunities for the disadvantaged. Its mission is to build an inclusive, green economy - strong enough to resolve the ecological crisis and lift millions of people out of poverty. A tireless advocate, his commitment to creating "green pathways out of poverty" and expanding the coalition fighting global warming, has earned Van our Planet Defender award as COMMUNITY LEADER.

Jessy Tolkan, Executive Director of the Energy Action Coalition is this year's Planet Defender award winner for GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM. Led by and for young people, the 50 leading organizations, 700 local groups, and hundreds of thousands of supporters that make up the Energy Action Coalition leverage their collective resources to create a clean and equitable energy future. The Energy Action Coalition is winning clean energy victories at the local, state, national, and international level - all while growing and strengthening the clean energy movement among young people from all walks of life in the United States and Canada.

Says Jessy Tolkan, "Young people are building a powerful grassroots movement that is leading the way towards the more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future we deserve. We started by making our campuses and communities living models of sustainability and possibility. Now we are redefining what is politically possible in order to pass bold federal climate and energy legislation this year."

This year's Planet Defenders join last year's winners: Dave Matthews Band; Author and businessman Andrew Winston of Winston Eco-Strategies and Karen Cragnolin, Executive Director of Riverlink- as we continue to honor those individuals we feel embody Rock the Earth's drive to Defend the Planet One Beat at a Time . Each Planet Defender recipient will receive a one-of-a-kind award collectively created by artists Joe Benvenuto, Jason Garrett and Chico Raskey (Chico Artglass).

Planet Defender Awards - Past Winners

Artist
Community Leader
Grassroots Activism
2008
Dave Matthews Band
Andrew Winston
Karen Cragnolin

2007
Barenaked Ladies
Carl Safina
Karen Dolan

2006
Jack Johnson
Rocky Anderson
Jason Rutledge

Rock the Earth is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, national public interest environmental advocacy organization, committed to protecting and defending America 's natural resources through partnerships with the music industry and the worldwide environmental community. Rock the Earth represents those individuals and communities whose environment or natural surroundings are directly and adversely affected by the actions of others. Through partnerships with diverse musical artists such as Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Bonnie Raitt, Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, Michael Franti, Sheryl Crow and Bon Jovi, Rock the Earth educates and activates fans to pursue a vision of global sustainability and environmental responsibility. We will continue to honor those individuals we feel embody Rock the Earth's drive to Defend the Planet One Beat at a Time.