From On Air - Winter 2003

Our Thanks to a Donor

Steven Phillips, 35, has had a lifelong interest in the environment. Born and raised in South Africa, Mr. Phillips grew up “enjoying the local nature preserves, backpacking in the Drakensburg Mountains, and swimming in the sea.” Since moving to New York City in 1993 to work at AT&T’s research laboratory in New Jersey, Mr. Phillips jogs in Central Park, and cycles and hikes along the Hudson River.

About five years ago, Mr. Phillips realized that “there’s an environmental disaster under way. I’ve read that during my lifetime a quarter of the world’s species could become extinct due to deforestation, global warming, overpopulation, and other human activities.”

Mr. Phillips applied these environmental lessons to his work life. “I got the office building to switch from virgin to recycled paper for its printers and copiers. The building uses 5 million pages a year, and now one-third of the paper content comes from recycled sources! It’s only slightly more expensive, about 1¢ per person per day.”

For his efforts, he received AT&T’s Champions of the Environment award. It came with a check for $1,000, which he promptly donated to PCI. “I’d become a member of PCI when I first heard about the organization’s mission. And I personally know the power of broadcasting,” he laughs, “because the few times my TV is on, I’m glued to the set. It’s fantastic that broadcasting can be used as part of the solution to our environmental problems.”

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