Former environment minister named ‘winner’ of Ropák award

The former environment minister Pavel Drobil (of the Civic Democrats) has been named the winner of this year’s “Ropák” (or Oil Guzzler), recognising the worst environmental policies. Winners of the anti-award are chosen each year by the Czech environmentalist group Děti Země (Children of the Earth). Mr Drobil, the organisation said, was singled out for the anti-award for a number of reasons, including, it charged, for weakening the importance and competencies of the environment ministry. The Ropák award takes its name from a fictional creature that survives on industrial waste; the animal was invented by Czech filmmaker Jan Svěrák.