- September 30, 2010
Commemorative Lectures by Winners of the Blue Planet Prize 2010
The National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) is pleased to host the commemorative lectures by winners of the 2010 Blue Planet Prize on October 28, 2010. This prize recognizes scientific contributions to environmental issues.
Winners are invited to NIES every year to address the researchers at NIES and other members of the Tsukuba community.
This year the recipients of the prize, Dr. James Hansen (U.S.A) and Dr. Robert Watson (U.K.) will visit NIES to present a lecture.
- Date: Thursday, October 28, 2010
- Time: 1:00pm to 3:00pm
- Place: Conference Room (Climate Change Research Hall, 1st Floor) at the National Institute for Environmental Studies (16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba)
- Language: English. There will be no simultaneous interpretation.
- Cost: This event is free but requires pre-registration.
Please complete the online application form at https://project.nies.go.jp/events/blueplanet2010/ by October 22 if you would like to attend.
(The lecture was completed successfully.)
The National Institute of Environmental Studies is located on Nishi Odori, just north of the intersection of Nishi Odori and Route 354. (The intersection is named "Inarimae".) From Tsukuba Center, drive south on Nishi Odori, past Minami Odori and Doho Park (which will be on your left). Continue south past the west campus of the National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST West) on your right and the Meteorological Research Institute on your left. At the following intersection, turn right (you will see a Coco's restaurant on your left). If you reach Route 354, you have gone too far.
Map:http://www.nies.go.jp/gaiyo/kotu/index-e.html
The Climate Change Research Hall is located inside the NIES Campus. Immediately after you enter the main gate, turn right. Follow the road north. The first building you encounter will be the Climate Change Research Hall. The lecture will be held on the first floor of that building.
Blue Planet Prize
This year marks the 19th 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. Both recipients will be awarded a certificate of merit, a commemorative trophy and a supplementary award of 50 million yen.
2010 Winners: Dr. James Hansen (U.S.A) and Dr. Robert Watson (U.K.).
See: http://www.af-info.or.jp/en/blueplanet/doc/prof/2010profile-eng.pdf
Dr. James Hansen (U.S.A)
Director at Goddard Institute for Space Studies ( NASA )
Adjunct professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University
Dr. Hansen et al. succeeded in developing a practical climate model that was proven by abundant weather observation data, and pioneered the understanding and forecasting of the earth climate system. He predicted global warming in the future based on the climate model. In 1988, he testified at the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and provided the public with an early alert to the dangers of global warming and to call for actions. He warned that an average temperature increase of even a few degrees would very probably cause irreversible and unrecoverable climate change and produce destructive results for life on Earth. He called on the governments and the public to take immediate action to reduce and mitigate the impact of climate change.
Dr. Robert Watson ( UK )
Chief Scientific Adviser of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
Chair of Environmental Science and Science Director at Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, the University of East Anglia
Led by Dr. Watson, a team of scientists derived scientific evidence of the depletion of the Ozone Layer and endorsed the Montreal Protocol which incorporated the reduction of ozone depleting substances. As Chair of IPCC, he played a significant role in successfully completing the detailed review of the Third Assessment Report by national governments from around the world, coordinating and bridging science and policy for protecting the world environment. The amount of contribution he has made to policy-making by national governments and international frameworks such as UNFCCC, a necessity and the foundation for the conservation of the global environment, is tremendous.