The Center for Science Writings at Stevens Institute of Technology has selected renowned oceanographer Sylvia A. Earle as the winner of the 2010 Green Book Award. Earle was selected for her book, The World Is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean’s Are One, which she will discuss at the April 28 event.
The World Is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean’s Are One explains how we are harming our oceans and what we can do to restore their health. Explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society and former chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Earle has been called “Her Deepness” by the New York Times, a “Living Legend” by the “Library of Congress” and “Hero for the Planet” by TIME.
In her book, Earle not only forces us to recognize what we have done to the oceans; she also spells out what we must do to restore the earth’s watery “life support system” to health. “There is still time, but not a lot, to turn things around,” she says. Earle urges the invention of new technologies for monitoring the oceans and the creatures that dwell within them; data from these systems can then guide preservation efforts, from stricter limits on fishing to the formation of more marine sanctuaries.
Earle has led more than 400 expeditions worldwide involving more than 7,000 hours underwater in connection with her research. From 1998 to 2002 she led the Sustainable Seas Expeditions, a five-year program to study the United States National Marine Sanctuary sponsored by the National Geographic Society and funded by the Goldman Foundation. An expert on the impact of oil spills, she was called upon to lead several research trips during the Gulf War and following the spills of the ships, Exxon Valdez and Mega Borg.
She is the author of more than 125 publications concerning marine science and technology including the books Exploring the Deep Frontier, Sea Change (1995), Wild Ocean: America's Parks Under the Sea (1999) and The Atlas of the Ocean (2001), she has participated in numerous television productions and given scientific, technical, and general interest lectures in more than 60 countries. Children's books that she has written include Coral Reefs, Hello Fish, Sea Critters, Dive! and Starfish.
John Horgan, Director of the Center for Science Writings, will present Earle with the award on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m., in the Lawrence T. Babbio Center on the Stevens campus, Room 122. This event is free and open to the public.
The Center for Science Writings, which is part of the Stevens College of Arts and Letters, created the Green Book Award in 2006 to draw attention to books that raise awareness of environmental issues. The award includes a prize of $5,000, which is underwritten by Turner Construction Company. Turner is the nation’s largest general builder and is recognized as a leader in “green buildings.” Judges of the Green Book Award include the staff of the CSW in consultation with “Friends of the CSW,” a group of leading science journalists. Previous winners of the Green Book Award include the Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson and the Columbia economist Jeffrey D. Sachs.