Lindbergh Foundation News
Philanthropist and Media Pioneer Ted Turner and The Jacoby Group, Led by Founder, Chairman and CEO, Jim Jacoby, to Receive 2008 Lindbergh Awards
MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 12 PRNewswire — Ted Turner, chairman of the Turner Foundation and founder of CNN, the world's first live, in-depth, around-the-clock news television network, will be the recipient of the 2008 Lindbergh Award in recognition of his dedication to the environment. The Jacoby Group will be the Foundation's third recipient of the Lindbergh Corporate Award for their commitment to sustainable and environmentally sensitive development. A gala will be held at The Ritz Carlton, Buckhead, in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday, May 17, 2008. Turner and Jacoby will speak at the 2008 Lindbergh Award Celebration, which includes a reception, silent auction, program and dinner.
"As the largest landowner in the country, Ted Turner is making a huge contribution toward not only protecting the environment from development, but also promoting the conservation and re-introduction of native species on his land," said Foundation Chairman John King. "Mr. Turner has been extraordinarily successful in his business ventures. His efforts on behalf of the environment have been equally monumental, and combined with his recent business endeavor to provide clean energy solutions for commercial and industrial clients make him an ideal recipient for the Lindbergh Award." The Lindbergh Award is presented annually to individuals who have made significant contributions over many years toward improving our quality of life by balancing technological advancements and the preservation of our environment.
Fascinated with the natural world since he was a young boy, Turner read books on everything from animals in Africa to whales in the ocean deep. Today, Turner believes that protecting the environment is central to the very survival of human life, an opinion that closely mirrors Charles Lindbergh's statement that "all the achievements of mankind have value only to the extent that they preserve and improve the quality of life" — all life, not human life, alone.
Turning his conviction into action, Ted Turner established the Turner Foundation in 1991 to support preservation and conservation efforts that protect the earth's resources. His Foundation supports clean water and toxic reduction projects; clean air through improved energy efficiency and renewables; wildlife habitat protection; and equitable practices and policies aimed at reducing population growth rates. "We have a beautiful, fragile planet where all people and all things are interdependent and interconnected," says Turner on the Turner Foundation, Inc., web site. "Every action or inaction has an impact — good or bad — upon our surroundings, and anything we do today will have an impact on the lives of our grandchildren."
In 1997, the Turner Endangered Species Fund was created to conserve biodiversity by ensuring the persistence of endangered species and their habitats with an emphasis on private land. This Fund supports the distribution of reliable scientific and policy information on biodiversity conservation and works closely with state and federal agencies, universities, and private organizations to accomplish its mission. It has also been involved in reintroduction projects for endangered species.
In January 2007, Turner launched a new clean energy business venture to provide clean power solutions to several U.S. markets, including California. Partnering with Dome-Tech Solar, a leading solar energy developer in New Jersey, DTSolar, A Turner Renewable Energy company, worked to deliver commercial and industrial solar power systems to several U.S. markets, including California, addressing the country's growing dependence on fossil fuels. Turner believes our future depends on changing the way we use energy, and recommends moving away from fossil fuels and developing long-term energy solutions that work. (DT Solar/Turner Renewable Energy was recently acquired by First Solar, Inc. The company will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of First Solar, Inc. under the name First Solar Electric, LLC.)
To learn more about Ted Turner and his accomplishments, please visit http://www.tedturner.com.
The Lindbergh Corporate Award is presented to a corporation or organization whose concern for and dedication to the environment and improving our quality of life is demonstrated through their business practices.
"Jim Jacoby is an outstanding example of what the Lindbergh Foundation is trying to accomplish with the Corporate Award," said John King. "The Jacoby Group was a typical big retail developer but is now committed to balancing the needs of people by focusing on sustainable development, which preserves and protects the environment on which we all rely. The Jacoby Group clearly demonstrates that environmentally conscious businesses can still be profitable. Best of all, Jim has the guts to say 'no' to a project when he believes it's best for the environment. For this, he and The Jacoby Group are to be commended."
The Jacoby Group has come to understand that the nation's environment and economy are linked. In the late 1990s, Jacoby took a special interest in urban sprawl and its impact on the quality of life. As a result, the company's corporate focus changed to non-traditional development projects, emphasizing sustainability, "smart growth" and the concepts of new urbanism. Mr. Jacoby believes, and has proven, that "green is good."
Atlantic Station and Jacoby Energy: Models for the Future
Atlantic Station was the largest brown-field redevelopment project in the United States when the project began in 1997. Today, it is 138 acres of environmental redevelopment and reclamation of the former Atlantic Steel Mill in Midtown Atlanta. With 11 acres of parkland, electric car charging stations and other creative transportation systems and incentives, combined with the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver- Core and Shell certified high-rise office building in the world, Atlantic Station has become a national model for smart growth and new urbanism. "The Jacoby Group is interested in larger projects that can make a meaningful influence on a better quality of life for the community at large," said Jacoby. "These are projects that the environment needs today."
Jacoby Energy is a 100% renewable energy company that captures gas from landfills and processes municipal solid waste with Plasma gasification. The technology can turn 10,000 tons of garbage into clean energy for 25,000 homes every day. They are the first to deliver landfill gas to the Atlanta Gas Light pipeline, and strive to deliver comprehensive, yet profitable, alternative energy solutions on a commercial scale.
2008 Lindbergh Award Celebration
For information about the 2008 Lindbergh Award Celebration please visit http://www.lindberghfoundation.org.
SOURCE Lindbergh Foundation
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