SAN FRANCISCO A Rwandan who crusaded to save his country's last 355 mountain gorillas, and two American journalists who uncovered health risk of a growth hormone used by dairy farmers are among eight activists who will be awarded a top environmental prize on Monday. According to Reuters, other winners of this year's $125,000 Goldman Environmental Prize include an Indonesian who led the fight to block a gold mine in one of the world's largest rain forests, a Bolivian labor leader who crusaded for clean and affordable water, a South Pacific activist campaigning to save one of the world's largest coral reefs, and two biologists who helped block development in biologically rich wetlands in Europe. "The world is getting smaller, and the need is growing for everyone to take responsibility for keeping our planet healthy," Richard Goldman, founder of the Goldman Environmental Prize said in a statement. "The winners this year illustrate how the environment is affected by wars, international business, economic policies and the tendency to put short-term gains ahead of long term solutions." The Goldman Prize, established by philanthropists Richard and Rhoda Goldman in 1990, seeks to identify grass-roots activists who protect their homelands and native species from destructive development projects and wars. Eugene Rutagarama, took on such a cause to protect a region ravaged by war, by working to ensure Rwanda's gorilla habitat remained protected during a period of chaos when the government faced pressure to resettle thousands of refugees in environmentally fragile areas. Of just 650 mountain gorillas that survive worldwide, about 355 of them live in the mountainous region straddling Rwanda, Congo and Uganda.

Risked Life Rutagarama worked to restore the Rwandan Office of Tourism and National Parks to help protect the gorilla's habitat, and risked his life by traveling to rebel-held territories to deliver funds and equipment to park rangers who had not been paid in more than five years. The other winners include Yosepha Alomang, who labored to reverse destruction of rain forest, rivers and local cultures from decades of mining in New Guinea; Oscar Olivera who helped reverse privatization of the Brazilian Water Company, which led to a spike in water prices that cost some as much as a third of their incomes; and Bruno van Petegham, who is working to block nickel ore mining in the New Caledonia coral reef in the South Pacific. Myrsini Malakou and Giorgos Catsadorakis won for their joint work in establishing a conservation zone to protect rich wetlands in northwestern Greece. The Prespa Park they helped establish with the agreement of Albania, Macedonia and Greece has been recognized as a model of peaceful collaboration among countries, the Goldman Environmental Foundation said. The U.S. winners were Jane Akre and Steve Wilson, journalists who investigated the dangers of the RBGH growth hormone, which is banned in Canada and Europe and many other countries but still used by American dairy farmers.