At a time when leadership and innovation are needed more than ever to mitigate our growing environmental crises - a need that has not been taken seriously by many of our elected officials - young people across the globe are not waiting to be "given" power to show that they have the power to affect positive change for the planet and their communities. Through the Brower Youth Awards, the Earth Island Institute has recognized dozens of young environmental leaders over the past decade - but we're not the only ones! Organizations such as Action for Nature offer their own prize for young environmental leaders, the International Eco-Hero Awards, which has worked since 2003 to "honor the work of young people between the ages of 8 and 16 who have done creative environmental projects."

Check out the 2010 Eco-Heroes to be inspired by the work of young individuals from the United States, India, Germany, Ivory Coast, and more!