User:John Joseph Cronin

John Joseph Cronin is founding Director of the Blue CoLab at Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, a celebrated environmental advocate, author, and Time Magazine Hero for the Planet. He is also a former congressional aide, state legislative aide and commercial fisherman.

John began his environmental career at the urging of folksinger Pete Seeger, first as a volunteer and then as environmental director with Pete’s environmental organization Clearwater where he helped bring the first enforcement actions in New York State under the 1972 Federal Clean Water Act.

John’s later, 17-year stint as the pollution-fighting Hudson Riverkeeper led to the founding of more than 360 water keepers on six continents, and the global Waterkeeper Alliance. He helped procure more than $25 million in river restoration projects, and was chief author and lobbyist for three major Hudson River laws, including the Hudson River Estuary Management Act, considered a model for ecological management.

John’s writings include The Riverkeepers, published by Scribners with an introduction by Al Gore; Op Eds on water policy for The New York Times; and popular and academic articles. He wrote and co-produced the documentary film The Last Rivermen, a short-listed runner-up in 1992 Academy Award voting.

In addition to Time magazine, his honors include: Honorary J.D., Pace University School of Law; Jefferson Gold Award for Public Service; Thomas Berry Environmental Award; American Fisheries Society William E. Ricker Award; EPA Region I Environmental Merit Award; EPA Region II Environmental Quality Award; Top 100 Irish-Americans; and Vanity Fair Hall of Fame.