Organisation - January 11, 2005

American prize

Professor Marten Scheffer of the Aquatic Ecology Group recently received the Sustainability Science Award from the Ecological Society of America.

Scheffer was co-author of an article published in October 2001 in Nature on sudden catastrophic changes in ecosystems. The prize is awarded annually to scientists with pioneering publications on ecosystems and regional sustainability that integrate ecology and social sciences. Scheffer applied his systems methodology to public opinion in 2003, and came up with the conclusion that critical thinkers are necessary to address big problems such as climate change and environmental pollution.