WASHINGTON - To encourage sustainable solutions to environmental issues, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year launched the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Award competition. On May 16-17, in this year's competition, more than 400 college students exhibited their solutions for an environmentally sustainable future on the National Mall in Washington.

"The originality and breadth of these projects demonstrates the high degree of innovation and environmental interest that exists on college campuses today," said E. Timothy Oppelt, acting administrator, EPA Office of Research and Development. "These young students represent the scientific leadership of tomorrow."

The P3 Award winners, who were selected by a panel convened by the National Academy of Sciences, included the following:

Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio - design of a low-cost system that enables visual observation and interpretation of total energy and water consumption for individual dormitory floors or an entire college campus.

University of California, Berkeley, Calif. - use of ultraviolet light to disinfect drinking water at the point of use - the household tap or neighborhood well.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. - development of AWARE@Home, a tool for households to monitor resource consumption patterns in real-time and on-demand, and to measure the costs and impacts of specific energy conservation actions. The homeowner can see immediately the results of conservation actions in dollars saved and emissions reduced.

For more information about the P3 Award winners and the competition, visit www.epa.gov/P3.

Publication date: 05/30/2005