Fighting for Eco-Justice, cleaner air and a sustainable campus. It's all in a days work for some young environmental activists.. and they're being honored for their efforts.

Every year the Brower Youth Awards recognize six young environmental leaders.

Sharon Smith from the Earth Island Institute said, "Folks who look for root causes to the environmental and social problems we face and engage many people in building a movement to address those problems."

Such as sixteen-year-old Erica who stopped a new plant from being built in her neighborhood.

She said, "We don't need more gas, what we need is clean air."

"We were looking for individuals who had overcome many obstacles."

Like Carlos who stood up for Eco-Justice in a violent community by starting after school programs.

"Most importantly for me is that we saved a lot of lives and we opened more opportunities for the future," said Carlos Moreno, Dorchester, MA.

Rachel Barge of Berkeley, California, said, "I've been so blessed to have been born in the country and to have access to such a great education, why not use it to benefit the world and to solve some major problems that I see happening."

And Rachel's mission? To green her college campus. And she secured over 2-million dollars in funding for eco initiatives to do it.

"We are really looking for environmental entrepreneurs so these are young people who's done something exceptional that stand out among their peers."