Roger Revelle Prize
Scripps Institution of Oceanography's Roger Revelle Prize is named for the UC San Diego founder and former Scripps director who was a world-renowned scientist and is considered one of the true pioneers of climate change research.
The Roger Revelle Prize recognizes leaders in the public or private sectors whose outstanding contributions advance or promote research in ocean, climate, and earth sciences. These international leaders, like Roger Revelle, ask the big questions, recognize the interrelationships of global systems, and think on a planetary scale. Their pioneering work and their courage in pursuing scientific questions of critical importance to our world evoke Revelle's leadership and vision.
Inaugural Prize Recipient: Al Gore
On March 6, 2009, former Vice President Al Gore accepted the inaugural Roger Revelle Prize for his outstanding contribution in bringing the science and issues raised by environmental and climate change research to a worldwide audience.
Gore received the prize from Revelle’s four children, Carolyn Revelle, Anne Revelle Shumway, Mary Ellen Paci and Bill Revelle and from Tony Haymet, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The Revelle family felt that Gore devoted his life to saving the world by stressing the importance of the fight against global warming, Ellen Revelle said. “It gives us great pleasure to present this prize to Al Gore,” added her daughter Carolyn.
Gore received from Scripps Director Haymet an unusual trophy to go with his Revelle Prize at Scripps: a jar of deep-sea sediments, which Revelle collected during a 1950 expedition. Revelle often used, in jest, some choice, unprintable words to describe the stuff, Haymet said.
"Mud, huh?” Gore asked without missing a beat. “It’s very beautifully presented in this case.”
When the audience’s laughter subsided, he seemed to collect himself. “You could imagine, seriously, how much I treasure this,” he said. He turned to Revelle’s widow. “Ellen, I love you. Everybody here loves you.”
2009 Roger Revelle Prize: Prince Albert II of Monaco
On October 23, 2009, Prince Albert II of Monaco accepted the second Roger Revelle Prize for his efforts to promote scientific research and protection of the environment on a global scale.
About His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco
Prince Albert is leading efforts to protect the environment through the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. His foundation aims to raise awareness and encourage effective response to our planet's greatest environmental challenges. Most recently, the Prince has focused his foundation's efforts on promoting scientific research and protection of our planet's vulnerable polar regions. Prince Albert is also addressing the problem of ocean acidification, a side effect of climate change which threatens millions of marine organisms that form shells and skeletons, potentially disrupting the entire ocean food web. He is a strong supporter of the Monaco Declaration, which urges international policymakers to sharply reduce CO2 emissions to avoid widespread damage to marine ecosystems from ocean acidification.