13 April 2000/ For Immediate Release

 

GLOBAL SOCIETY AWARDS ENVIRONMENTALISTS TOP ACCOLADE

Ozone Hole Scientists Celebrated

 

 Tuesday 18 April 2000, 17:30, London: The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists who discovered the Antarctic ozone hole in 1985, Joseph Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin, are to receive the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Environment Medal, one of the Society's top awards. Chairman of the SCI Awards Committee, Sir David Harrison, Master of Selwyn College, Cambridge, will present these prestigious accolades at SCI International Headquarters, Belgrave Square. The medal presentation will be followed by the award lecture entitled 'The Halocarbon Episode - Is It Over?'

 

Struck in 1992, the Environment Medal is awarded by the SCI Environment and Water Group to people of high distinction in the sectors of environmental science or its application. Farman, Gardiner and Shanklin have been chosen to receive this award because of the immense importance of their work and their continued engagement in activities to raise awareness of the issues and research surrounding it.

 

Having gained his degree from the University of Cambridge, Joseph Farman was appointed as a scientific officer to the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey - the forerunner of BAS. After two winters at Argentine Islands he returned to the UK and became Head of the Geophysics Section of BAS and a senior research fellow with the University of Edinburgh, to which the Section was affiliated. Moving back to Cambridge in 1976 to the newly built BAS HQ, Joseph Farman held a variety of job titles from Head of the Stratosphere Section to Head of Chemistry, Radiation and Dynamics. It was he who provided the critical link between ozone and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) in the now famous Nature paper of 1985.

 

After graduating from the University of Glasgow, Brian Gardiner joined the BAS in 1967. Posted to the Antarctic, he spent two years working in the atmospheric physics and meteorological programmes before returning to the UK in 1970. Arranging special ozone observing programmes to coincide with satellite activity, he and his team provided critical 'ground truth' observations for the satellites. In 1975 he was appointed Head of the Radiation and Ozone Section at BAS. Since 1989 Brian has been Principal Scientific Officer at BAS and continues his research into the ozone hole and related issues. He has recently been heavily involved in EU ozone measurement projects.

 

The third award winner, Jonathan Shanklin joined BAS in 1977 as a meteorologist after gaining his degree at the University of Cambridge. Eventually becoming involved with the Antarctic meteorological and ozone data collection programmes, he was excellently positioned to observe the long term reduction in the ozone content over the Antarctic. Following his contribution to the seminal ozone hole paper, Jonathan climbed the ranks and is now the key point of contact between BAS and the Meteorological Office in his capacity as Senior Scientific Officer for the Meteorological and Ozone Monitoring Unit of BAS.

 

All three men lecture extensively about Antarctica and the Ozone Hole to politicians, policy makers, the media and the public as well as carrying on with their individual research.

 

Professor Chris Rapley, Director of BAS today said, "the discovery of the ozone hole was a major wake up call to the world. It is fantastic that the public and politicians listened to the scientists and stopped the production of CFC's. I am delighted that Joe Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin are being honoured by the Society of Chemical Industry for this ground breaking work."

 

For almost 120 years international leaders of industry, business and education and public affairs have looked to SCI for expertise and the recognition of excellence and public-spirited endeavour. The Society is proud to add Joseph Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin to a growing list of eminent award winners, and to be celebrating the achievements of three such internationally renowned scientists.

  

NOTES FOR EDITORS

 

SCI is a registered charity and a worldwide, interdisciplinary membership organisation. Established in London in 1881 and New York in 1894, the Society seeks to improve the exchange of information and understanding between researchers, industrialists, consumers, financiers and academics, and embraces diverse branches of science and sectors of science-related industry. Its expertise and impartiality attracts men and women from all levels of business, research and public life, providing them with access to email discussion forums, journals, specialist meetings and symposia, prestigious awards, student prizes and scholarships, books, and the respected twice-monthly magazine, Chemistry & Industry

 

BAS is responsible for almost all of the British Government's scientific research in the Antarctic, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands. Financial support comes through NERC from the Office of Science and Technology. All aspects of the research programme are organised from the BAS headquarters in Cambridge. Website: http://www.antarctica.ac.uk

  

For further information please contact:

Kelly Quigley, SCI: Tel: +44 (0) 20 7598 1573; Email: kellyq@chemind.demon.co.uk

Linda Capper, BAS: Tel: +44 (0) 1223 221 448; Email: L.Capper <LMCA@pcmail.nerc-bas.ac.uk>