【韓政燕╱綜合外電報導】眾所矚目的二○○七年諾貝爾和平獎昨揭曉，由呼聲頗高的美國前副總統高爾（Al Gore）與聯合國跨政府氣候變化專門委員會（Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change，ＩＰＣＣ）共獲殊榮。評審委員肯定高爾及該組織對全球暖化的貢獻。高爾深表榮幸之餘，表示會將獎金全額捐出，作為對抗全球暖化之用。
Al Gore is joint winner of Nobel peace prize
By Richard Holt
Last Updated: 1:38am BST 15/10/2007 Al Gore has been named joint winner of the Nobel peace prize for his work raising awareness of environmental issues.
The former US vice president, who wrote the controversial climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth, shares the award with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Explaining their decision, the awarding committee said that by fighting rising temperatures, Mr Gore was helping to prevent future conflicts across the world.
"Extensive climate changes may alter and threaten the living conditions of much of mankind," they said.
"Such changes will place particularly heavy burdens on the world’s most vulnerable countries. There may be increased danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states."
In statement, Mr Gore said that he was "deeply honoured" to receive the prize.
"This award is even more meaningful because I have the honour of sharing it with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - the world's pre-eminent scientific body devoted to improving our understanding of the climate crisis - a group whose members have worked tirelessly and selflessly for many years."
advertisementThe IPCC - an association of 2,500 scientists - issued a series of reports this year blaming mankind for global warming and outlining possible solutions.
Mr Gore, 59, vice president to Bill Clinton and a failed candidate for the White House in 2000, was widely-tipped winner.
It has been rumoured in the US that he may exploit the prize publicity to launch another attempt at the presidency in 2008, challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.
Ole Danbolt Mjoes, the chairman of the prize committee, said the award should not be seen as singling out George W Bush's Republican administration for criticism.
But, in what will be seen as a veiled reference to the upcoming US presidential elections, he said: "I am very much in support for all who support changes.
"Al Gore has fought the environment battle even as vice president. Many did not listen ... but he carried on."
Mr Gore said he will donate the proceeds to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a non-profit organisation "devoted to changing public opinion in the US and around the world about the urgency of solving the climate crisis".
A total of 181 individuals or organisations were nominated for the prize of 10 million Swedish kroner (£767,000).
After losing the highly controversial 2000 presidential race, Mr Gore went back to concentrate on environmental campaigning.
He reinvented himself as a global champion for climate change with his 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth.
Based on years of lectures, the documentary provides a stark warning of the dangers of global warming and won an Academy Award for best documentary.
But it has been criticised for exaggerating the scientific case for human-caused climate change, and earlier this week a High Court judge ruled that it contained nine key errors.
Gordon Brown said today: "I am very pleased that the Nobel Foundation has recognised the work that both Al Gore and the UN have done on climate change.
"Al Gore has been inspirational in focusing attention across the globe on this key issue.
"The IPCC's work on the science of climate change has been vital and they are now leading the process by which all countries will work together to tackle the effects of climate change."
The IPCC was set up in 1988 and has produced scientific studies on the risk of human-induced climate change.
"It was a surprise," panel member Carola Traverso Saibante said today.
"We would have been happy even if [Gore] had received it alone because it is a recognition of the importance of this issue."
Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, said that the award showed that it is "beyond doubt" that climate change is now affecting the world.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the prize, reached its decision on Monday, unusually close to today's announcement.
This has been taken as a sign that the five panel members from five political parties found it a particularly difficult choice.
The last time an American won was in 2002, when the former US president Jimmy Carter was awarded for his international peace-keeping work.
Nobel peace prize laureates
2006: The prize was divided equally between Mohammed Yunus, from Bangladesh, and Grameen Bank for their efforts through microcredit to create economic and social development from below.
2005 : The prize was divided equally between International Atomic Energy Agency and its Mohamed El Baradei, its Egyptian director general, for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way.
2004: Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan, for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.
2003: Shirin Ebadi, Iranian, for her efforts for democracy and human rights, especially the rights of women and children, in Iran and across the Muslim world.
2002: Jimmy Carter, American, for working to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts.
2001: The prize was divided equally between the UN and Kofi Annan, its Ghanaian secretary-general, for their peace work.
2000: Korean Kim Dae Jung, was honoured for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for efforts towards peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular.
1999: Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) was recognised for pioneering humanitarian work.
1998: The prize was divided equally between John Hume and David Trimble, both from Northern Ireland, for their efforts in the Northern Ireland peace process.
1997: The prize was divided equally between Jody Williams and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
在曼谷的中國大使館外，戴著翁山蘇姬面具的示威者用鐵鍊纏縛雙手，要求中國政府向緬甸施壓，協助釋放翁山蘇姬。路透
