Quotes of the Day

In the global conversation these days, there's one constant, no matter where you are — concern over the state of the planet. Whether it's climate change, pollution, habitat depletion, a lack of clean water or the loss of precious species, people everywhere worry about where we are going and how we can ensure that we hand the earth on to the next generation in as good a shape as possible.

At TIME, we've long had a commitment to covering environmental issues. The Environment section of the magazine was first created back in 1969 — long before the term global warming even existed. We published our first cover on that subject in 1987, and — in a break with tradition — named Endangered Earth our Planet of the Year in 1988. Our latest entry in this distinguished line of journalism was TIME International's double issue last month on Heroes of the Environment. To mark that issue, I was delighted to join my TIME colleagues and more than 400 distinguished guests, including TIME Warner Chairman and CEO Richard Parsons, TIME Warner President and Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey Bewkes, TIME Inc. CEO Ann Moore, actress and environmental activist Heather Graham, human-rights activist and former hostage Terry Waite, and philanthropist Sabrina Guinness at London's Royal Courts of Justice on Oct. 25 to honor our awardees.

It was a memorable evening. In the Great Hall of the Royal Courts — one of the finest Gothic Revival spaces in the world — the crowd met no less than 16 of our heroes. Some were locals, like David Attenborough, the legendary documentary filmmaker whose most recent series, Planet Earth, has taken his ability to reveal the secrets of nature to unparalleled heights. Others came from far away, such as Hammer Simwinga, a Zambian agronomist who has developed local businesses so that villagers do not have to resort to poaching, and Tommy Remengesau Jr., the President of the Pacific Island nation of Palau, who has led efforts to preserve a priceless marine environment. Some were activists, like Olga Tsepilova, who has exposed the dangerous legacy of the Soviet Union's nuclear program, and some were industrialists, like Tulsi Tanti, the wind-power king of India.

All of our heroes were men and women who showed that individual effort combined with ingenuity and determination can help save the planet. From our earliest days as a magazine, TIME has highlighted the idea that individuals can change the course of history, and it was a great pleasure to be able to honor in person those who are truly making a difference. We at TIME salute them and commit ourselves to bringing you their stories, and the stories of how other individuals are making a difference. That's how we make a difference.

Richard Stengel, MANAGING EDITOR

• RICHARD STENGEL
• At an awards ceremony in London, TIME hails its Heroes of the Environment for their remarkable efforts to change the course of history