The Sophie Prize is an annual award that celebrates notable achievements by an individual in spreading awareness about environmental issues and promoting or enabling sustainable development. The recepienet of the Shophie Prize is awarded $100.000. The prize was established in 1997 by the famous Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder and his wife, Siri Dannevig.
This year’s winner, Dr. James E. Hansen, has done extensive research on environmental issues and written several books on the subject of climate change, including the 2009 publication "The Storms of My Grandchildren". As the head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City, and an adjunct professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, as well as a pioneer in climate studies, Dr. Hansen is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the field of environmental science.
As early as 1988 Dr. Hansen presented results for the American congress testifying to the probability that human-induced climate change was a threat to the planet. Since then, he has been committed to political activism and worked to inform others about the dangers of disregarding the consequences of excessive CO2-pollution. Dr. Hansen is an avid opponent of coal mining, and believes in a responsible and justifiable use of our natural recourses.
Previous winners of the Sophie Prize include Marina Silva, former minister of environment in Brazil, Dr. Wangari Maathai, and former Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson.
For more information about the Sophie Prize and this year's winner Dr. James E. Hansen, please visit www.sofieprisen.no.