On Thursday May 21, 2009, BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director David Foster received the Peter A.A. Berle Environmental Integrity Award at the office of the Century Foundation in New York City.

The award is given annually to two U.S. citizens in recognition of demonstrated courage, integrity and innovative leadership in defense of the environment. Also receiving the award this year was James E. Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Mr. Foster and Mr. Hansen are the inaugural winners of the award.

In its announcement, the Century Foundation states that:

David Foster received the award for being a transformative force in bringing together the twin issues of social justice and environmental sustainability. For the past twenty years, Mr. Foster has been among the labor movement’s leading environmental advocates. The Blue Green Alliance, which he leads, is a national partnership between labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the green economy and advancing workers’ rights around the globe. Under his leadership, the Blue Green Alliance unites more than six million people in pursuit of good jobs, a clean environment, and a green economy with a focus that includes global warming, clean energy, fair trade, and reducing toxins in the workplace.

The award was established in memory of Peter A.A. Berle, past president of the National Audubon Society and past chair of the Century Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Winners were selected by a panel that included representatives from The Century Foundation, the National Audubon Society, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Environmental Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.