This is an article I wrote for my writing class in October 2007.
On October 12th 2007, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the laureates for the Nobel Peace Prize 2007. After reviewing 181 nominations, among them 46 organizations, the committee decided to award both The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Albert Arnold “Al” Gore. Believing that the issue on global warming is getting more drastic with time, the Nobel Committee honors them “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was founded in 1988 in Geneva, Switzerland. They evaluate information -- scientific, technical and socio-economic -- to bring a better understanding of climate change, its devastating impacts and the various options to mitigate it. On the second hand, Al Gore, former Vice President of the US, is momentarily one of the most outstanding environmental activists. He lectures on global warming, which also brought him to star in the documentary: An Inconvenient Truth. This 2006 Academy Award-winning film reached for people to be “shaken to their core.”
Global warming is evidently one of the biggest concerns today because it simply affects every single one of us and the future of the planet. And we can all make a difference. You can even start today. Raising awareness is the key to hopefully assure a better “tomorrow” for the next generations. Now with this prestigious prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee also contributes to making a change.
On December 10th and 11th, the city of Oslo will become the peace center of the world. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, annually on December 10th, is held at the Oslo City Hall. The next day, the Nobel Peace Prize Concert will take place at Oslo Sprektrum. Both Norwegian and international artists will perform for the Nobel Peace Prize winners. Following these major events, the official Portrait Exhibition of this year’s laureates will be put up at the Nobel Peace Center. Be sure to not only visit the center starting December 12th 2007, but more importantly, remember that anyone of us... including you, can generate minimal and/or maximal change!
