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E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE |
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2008 Blue Planet Prize Winners |
Dr. Lorius of France and Prof. Goldemberg of Brazil Won 2008 Blue Planet Prize |
TOKYO, JAPAN, Jun. 19 -/E-Wire/--
Dr. Claude Lorius (French Republic) For his contribution in disclosing past climate change based on polar ice sheet core analysis and in discovering the relation between climate change during glacial and interglacial periods and atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, indicating its current unprecedentedly high level and warning a consequent global warming
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Professor José Goldemberg (Federative Republic of Brazil) For making major contributions in formulating and implementing many policies associated with improvements on energy use and conservation, in devising a pioneering concept of "technological leapfrogging" for the developing countries for their sustainable development and in exhibiting strong leadership in preparation for the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
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This year marks the 17th awarding of the Blue Planet Prize, the international environmental award sponsored by the Asahi Glass Foundation, chaired by Hiromichi Seya. Two Blue Planet Prizes are awarded to individuals or organizations each year that make outstanding achievements in scientific research and its application, and in so doing help to solve global environmental problems. The Board of Directors and Councillors selected the following recipients for this year.
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1. Dr. Claude Lorius (French Republic) Director Emeritus of Research, CNRS Member of the French Academy of Sciences Dr. Lorius began his research on Antarctic glaciers and ice sheet from the mid-1950s and made a total of 22 polar expeditions mostly to Antarctica. Through those expeditions together with various teams of international experts, he drilled ice cores, analyzed them and disclosed the global climate change which took place in the last 400,000 years. Comprehensive studies on the ice cores allowed to obtain both past temperatures and composition of the atmosphere. Among those achievements, the relation he discovered between climate change during glacial and interglacial periods and atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane through ice sheet cores drilled at Vostok station, the coldest place on earth, was exceptional. Based on these results, Dr. Lorius has indicated that current atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is unprecedentedly high and that this high level may possibly be due to human activity and warned of a consequent global warming of the planet.
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2. Professor José Goldemberg (Federative Republic of Brazil) Professor, Institute of Electrotechnics and Energy, University of São Paulo Former Rector, University of São Paulo Professor Goldemberg began making a thorough study on energy problems from the late 1960's, and in 1973 after the oil crisis he served a major role in the adoption of bio-ethanol program, thus had made major contributions in formulating and promoting energy policies in Brazil. In the 1980's he designed an energy strategy which contributed to global sustainable development in which he devised a pioneering concept of "technological leapfrogging" for the developing countries where they could develop through strategies by introducing innovative technologies and with this concept he made a significant contribution in promoting renewable energy for a sustainable development. In 1992 as the Environment Minister of Brazil, he was active in preparing for the Rio Earth Summit and afterwards he exhibited strong leadership on environmental issues including energy, global warming, ethics, policies and deforestation, not only in Brazil domestically but also internationally including United Nations and other organizations, and in particular, he contributed in the implementation of many policies associated with improvements on energy use and conservation. Both recipients will be awarded a certificate of merit, a commemorative trophy and a supplementary award of 50 million yen. The awards ceremony will be held on November 12, 2008 (Wednesday), at the Tokyo Kaikan (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo). The commemorative lectures by the prize recipients will be held at the United Nations University (Shibuya Ward, Tokyo) the next day, on November 13 (Thursday).
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*This press release may also be viewed on the Internet from June 19, 2008 at www.af-info.or.jp.
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Report on the Selection Process (17th Annual Prize, 2008)
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A total of 850 nominators from Japan and 1,200 nominators from other countries recommended 104 candidates. The fields represented by the candidates, in order of number, were ecology (32), environmental economics and policy making (22), Compound area (22) and atmospheric and earth sciences (20). The candidates represented 26 countries; 14 persons, 13 percent of the total, were from developing countries. After individual evaluation of the 104 candidates by each Selection Committee member, the committee was convened to narrow down the field. The results of their deliberation were examined by the Presentation Committee, which forwarded its recommendations to the Board of Directors and Councillors. The Board formally resolved to award the Prize to Dr. Claude Lorius and Professor José Goldemberg.
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For more information, please contact: Shunichi Samejima THE ASAHI GLASS FOUNDATION 2nd Floor, Science Plaza, 5-3 Yonbancho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0081 Japan Phone +81-3-5275-0620 Fax +81-3-5275-0871 e-mail: post@af-info.or.jp URL: http://www.af-info.or.jp
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/SOURCE:
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The Asahi Glass Foundation |
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06-19-2008 |
/CONTACT:
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Mr. Shunichi Samejima
Shunichi Samejima THE ASAHI GLASS FOUNDATION 2nd Floor, Science Plaza, 5-3 Yonbancho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0081 Japan Phone +81-3-5275-0620 Fax +81-3-5275-0871 e-mail: post@af-info.or.jp URL: http://www.af-info.or.jp |
| /WEB SITE: |
http://www.af-info.or.jp
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