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Clean Air-Cool Planet presented its 2009 Climate Champion Awards to eight outstanding individuals, campuses, groups, and corporations that have demonstrated leadership and excellence in finding solutions to global warming and climate change.
 Dr. Sue Tierney, Clean Air-Cool Planet’s founding board member, was recognized for her long commitment to leadership of efforts on the national front, in the government and utility and energy sectors in particular, to promote renewable energy development and reduce greenhouse gases.
 Pioneer Sven Lindblad was selected for his tremendous commitment to global conservation issues. His sustainable travels, including an Arctic venture aboard National Geographic Endeavour in the summer of 2008, and efforts to engage governments, NGOs, businesses and expedition travelers, have brought real conservation benefits to habitats as diverse as those of the Galapagos Islands, Mexico, and the high Arctic.
In his 18th Congress, Representative Edward  Markey has long led the fight for a more progressive energy strategy in the House of Representatives. He received a Climate Champion Award in 2009 for being at the top of his game and the pinnacle of his career thus far. In a short six-month period, operating from his twin chairmanships of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, Markey led the effort to enact new standards for automobile efficiency, and, for the first time, won House approval of a major bill to cap carbon emissions and reduce global warming.
 The Town of Temple, NH was awarded for its common sense citizen-supported efficiency projects, conservation and continuing education. In addition to completing greenhouse gas inventories in all its municipal sectors and a land use audit to ensure greater community reductions, it applied for and received a landmark funding award from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to assist energy efficiency projects and community and residential outreach.
 The Chewonki Foundation received an award for the quality and level of innovation of its outreach and education efforts. It has reduced its own emissions and developed materials, lessons, and demonstration projects on a wide range of sustainability-related topics, including solid-waste management and the use of renewable fuels. Chewonki also originated and supported the nation's first publicly accessible direct high-pressure hydrogen system, which was designed to explore the use of hydrogen as a storage medium for all renewable energy sources.
 Furman University in Greensville, SC, was presented with an award for its innovative climate action planning model, the breadth of its campus sustainability initiatives, and the visionary leadership in the higher education community of its President, Dr. David Shi. CA-CP is set to release a case study regarding Furman’s climate leadership by mid-October.
 SunEdison was awarded for its unique business model that supports the development of large scale renewable energy projects, and involvement with corporations that are reducing their greenhouse gas emissions without a large initial investment.
 Chief among the accomplishments for which Hannaford Brothers, Co. was recognized is opening the world’s first LEED Platinum certified supermarket in Augusta, ME. The company was an early adopter of Maine Governor John Baldacci’s Carbon Challenge, and has been in the top 20 percent of participants in reductions. It has also been a vocal proponent of the need for federal action on climate, and actively supported efforts to promote cap and trade legislation.
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