For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Pacific Institute Applauds Nobel Prize in Field of Climate Science

Statement from Dr. Peter Gleick,
President and Co-Founder, Pacific Institute

(OAKLAND, Calif.) As a researcher who has spent more than 20 years looking at climate change and its likely impacts on water resources, I applaud the Nobel Committee for awarding this year's Peace Prize to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Al Gore. This prize gives overdue recognition to the long history of work by hundreds, if not thousands, of climate scientists who have strived to understand climactic change and raised public awareness. Of course, Vice President Gore played a key role in this public education process. We must now move from awareness to action.

Climate change and resulting sea level rise are almost certain to bring new political tensions and conflict. Sadly, our future holds disputes over water, disputes over the Arctic, mass displacement of peoples due to sea level rise, agricultural challenges, and more. Understanding these changes can help us anticipate and prevent international and intranational environmental and social conflicts. On behalf of the Pacific Institute, I congratulate the IPCC and Vice President Gore.

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