Susan Solomon Arrives for Her Volvo Environment Prize

Some four months ago we were reporting on 2009 Volvo Environment Prize, which was awarded to one of the most appreciated atmospheric scientists for important findings on the ozone layer depletion and on the UN climate panel. Today, Dr Solomon and her team arrived in Sweeden to receive the prize worth SEK 1.5m (approx. €150,000).

In recent years, Solomon and many other researchers have focused on the climate change, and together found that the estimated emissions of greenhouse gases in the following decades will lead to irreversible processes. Therefore, if carbon dioxide emissions doesn't drop sharply, climate change will last more than thirty generations.

Moreover, they confirmed that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are reducing the ozone layer’s capacity to protect humanity from harmful ultraviolet radiation. That led to international agreements that banned the production of CFCs, then used for refrigeration among other things.

"It is incredibly important that we have correct scientific information when making decisions," said Susan Solomon in a statement for the press. "I find it encouraging that so many people today, across the world, are absorbing increased knowledge about the climate issue. And when we now know how long our impact will last, I believe people and governments will make better decisions about how much carbon dioxide we emit."

The Volvo Environmental Prize jury is formed by several leading international researchers, who, commenting on Dr Solomon’s work, said that "Dr Susan Solomon is an outstanding atmospheric chemist and physicist whose pioneering scientific contributions have had major impacts on crucial environmental policies."

According to Volvo, during her visit, Susan Solomon will participate in seminars in Gothenburg and Stockholm.