Chinese photographer named 'Climate Hero'

BEIJING, June 5 (UPI) -- A Chinese nature photographer is the first from his country to be named a "Climate Hero" by the United Nations Environment program.

Luo Hong, 42, was honored Thursday as a person who has undertaken "exceptional personal feats, high-profile expeditions or other acts of environmental activism," said Achim Steiner, the program's executive director.

Luo left the business world to travel from the Arctic to the Antarctic and from Kenya to South Africa to document the need for environmental protection, Xinhua, China's state-run news agency reported Friday.

His photos include wildebeest on the Serengeti in Tanzania, flamingos on Kenya's Lake Nakuru, and emperor penguins breeding on shrinking sea ice.

"When you see the beautiful scenes, you will have no heart at all to destroy it," Luo said.

Also honored Thursday as climate heroes were Britain's Roz Savage, who rowed alone across the Atlantic Ocean in 2006 and Britain's David de Rothschild, who plans to sail the Pacific in a catamaran made of recycled plastic bottles.