- Title: NORWAY: Nobel Peace Prize awarded in Oslo
- Date: 11th December 2007
- Summary: PACHAURI RECEIVING PRIZE ON BEHALF OF IPCC GORE RECEIVING PRIZE
- Embargoed: 26th December 2007 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Norway
- Country: Norway
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA37CE4ON3EGXBXYT4SUBZMN05
- Story Text: Climate campaigner Al Gore collects the Nobel Peace Prize and says it is time to stop waging war on the earth and make peace with the planet.
Former United States (U.S.) vice president Al Gore and the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) collected the Nobel Peace Prize on Monday (December 10) in Oslo's City Hall.
The ceremony was attended by the Norwegian royal family and dignitaries from all over the world.
Indian scientist Rajendra Pachauri, representing the IPCCP, warned that the impact of climate change on some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people could prove distressing.
In his Nobel lecture, he said warming could lead to widespread extinction of species and a sharp rise in temperatures of 4.5 degrees Celsius from 1980-99 levels would be "grave and disastrous."
"However, it is within the reach of human society to meet these threats. The impacts of climate change can be limited by suitable adaptation measures and stringent mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions," he said.
Pachauri also urged leaders at a U.N. climate conference in Indonesia to heed the wisdom of science.
"Will those responsible for decisions in the field of climate change at the global level listen to the voice of science and knowledge, which is loud and clear? If they do so at Bali and beyond than all my colleagues in the IPCC and those thousands toiling for the cause of science would feel doubly honoured at the privilege I am receiving today on their behalf,"
he said.
"Without realizing it, we have begun to wage war on the earth itself," Gore said in his speech. "Now we and the earth's climate are locked in a relationship familiar to war planners: "Mutually assured destruction," he added.
Gore praised Europe and Japan for the steps they had already taken in the battle against climate change and said he "saluted" Australia's new government for making the climate crisis a priority.
But he said the outcome of the battle to save the planet would depend decisively on the two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, the United States and China, making "the boldest moves."
"But the outcome will be decisively influenced by two nations that are now failing to do enough: the United States and China. While India is also growing fast in importance, it should be absolutely clear that it is the largest CO2 emitters -most of all my own country - that will need to make the boldest moves or stand accountable before history for their failure to act.
Both countries should stop using the other's behaviour as an excuse for stalemate and instead develop an agenda for mutual survival in a shared global environment," he concluded.
The IPCC and Gore were jointly awarded the 10 million Swedish crown (1.55 million U.S. dollar) 2007 peace prize for spreading public awareness and furthering the science of climate change. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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