On April 27, the Center for Science Writings (CSW) at Stevens Institute of Technology presented its annual Green Book Award to leading climatologist Dr. James Hansen, for his 2010 book Storms of My Grandchildren. Following the award presentation by CSW Director John Horgan, Dr. Hansen treated the standing-room-only crowd of students, faculty, and guests to a lecture on the latest in climate science, "Facing the Truth about Global Warming."
"James Hansen is at the white-hot center of the debate on global warming," said Horgan during the award presentation. "I think the book is extremely important, and so do many other scientists and scholars."
Dr. Hansen is director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and the world's foremost scientific authority on global climate change. Hansen has been a highly-visible, polarizing figure in the global warming debate since testifying before Congress in 1988. Recognized for his apolitical stance, commitment to hard science in the study of global warming, and promotion of nuclear energy, he has relentlessly shared his data and vision with both policy makers and the general public.
Hansen's first book, Storms of My Grandchildren, presents a startling call-to-action while also recounting his personal journey from shy scientist to public speaker and activist. As the title implies, the book was inspired by Hansen's grandchildren and a fear that they might inherit a world without the comforts and privileges that previous generations have enjoyed. The CSW Green Book Award acknowledges this distinctive combination of memoir and science used to spark readers in a global cause.
A starred review in the American Library Association's Booklist says of Storms of My Grandchildren: "Rich in invaluable insights into the geopolitics as well as the geophysics of climate change, Hansen's guaranteed-to-be-controversial manifesto is the most comprehensible, realistic, and courageous call to prevent climate change yet. It belongs in every library."
Established in 2007, the CSW Green Book Award honors books that address environmental issues in a compelling way. Accompanying the award is a $5,000 prize, which has been underwritten by Turner Construction Company, a leading builder with a large portfolio of sustainable projects. Previous award winners are: oceanographer Sylvia Earle for The World Is Blue (2010), economist Jeffrey Sachs for Common Wealth (2009), environmental consultants Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger for Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility (2008), and Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson for The Creation (2007).
About the Center for Science Writings
Stevens Institute of Technology created the Center for Science Writings in 2005 to draw attention to writings, from books to blogs, that shape public perceptions of science. Science journalist John Horgan serves as Director of the Center, which is part of the College of Arts & Letters and sponsors public events at which prominent writers including journalists, scientists, engineers, philosophers, and others visit Stevens to discuss science-related issues. The Center's website publicizes these events and provides supplementary materials: www.stevens.edu/cal/csw/