Richard R. Knabel, Emeritus Professor of Physical Science, SUNY, Westchester Community College since 1999, and on the faculty since 1980, where he specialized in both energy and environmental problems as they relate to contemporary society. He was curriculum chair for training water quality technicians, and founding head of the WCC Environmental Observatory, which has a partnership with the seismology department at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory. WCC monitors directly local seismicity, and a host of other environmental parameters including continuous monitoring of acid rain.

He became a member of the Hudson River Fisherman’s Association in 1970, the predecessor organization to Riverkeeper, and is a founding member of Riverkeeper (1983) serving continuously on the HRFA board until it officially dissolved itself, and subsequently on the Riverkeeper board becoming its president in August 2000. Also served on the board and as vice president of Clearwater for several years, and was a twenty-five year long member and officer of Federated Conservationists of Westchester County (FCWC) for which he was honored by both FCWC and the County of Westchester in 1999.

He was for many years the editor of Westchester Environment, the monthly publication of FCWC, and in which he wrote extensively about issues involving the Hudson, some of its tributaries and Indian Point. He has written frequently in the popular press on environmental and energy issues, and is generally regarded as an activist on the political front as well.