The New York Times Journalist Awarded by Global Energy Prize

LONDON, June 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Martin Fackler, the Tokyo bureau chief for The New York Times, is the winner of the Energy of Word international media competition organised by the Global Energy Prize. In a ceremony held today in St. Petersburg Mr. Fackler received the diploma and the statuette by the hands of famous Russian scientist Boris Katorgin during of the Global Energy Prize's Laureates' Week.

Mr. Fackler was awarded for his passion and his commitment towards our global energy issues and challenges. In particular, he was selected for the depth of his research, his analytical approach, his innovative ideas and, obviously, the quality of his writing.

Mr. Fackler said to be very honoured to receive the award and commented: "In my job, I write on a broad range of topics, but energy has always been of high interest to me. It is one of the fundamental questions in the modern world: where does the energy come from that powers our industries and sustains our living standards?"

"One of the biggest moments in human history was in the late eighteenth century, when we made the leap from human and animal labor to steam power. That set in motion the entire industrial revolution, which ultimately allowed more and more people to enjoy longer and more comfortable -- and more hectic -- lives. In our own era, we grapple with whether and how to make the transition from fossil fuels, a finite and polluting resource, to something cleaner and more sustainable. In that sense, the main country about which I write, Japan, is important because it is a leader in many of the new green energy-production technologies, like solar and fuel cells, and also in energy efficiency. And it has been a world leader in nuclear technology, at least until last year's crisis in Fukushima."

Today one question for Japan and the rest of the world is: Is nuclear power worth the risk?

Martin Fackler said: "Even in technologically advanced Japan, an easy alternative is not be found. For the short to medium term, the nation is going back to natural gas and other fossil fuels. But given the growing global demand for energy, the clear and pressing need to reduce the planet's carbon emissions, this cannot be a long-term solution, most Japanese seem to agree. Solar seems like a magic bullet, and clearly could fulfill some of the demand for electricity in peak times like daytimes during summer. But it also has clear limitations. So do other green energy sources. This conundrum is now driving Japan and other developed nations to innovate in new technologies and policy solutions, but a final solution has yet to appear."

In addition to the New York Times, Mr. Fackler has also worked in Tokyo for the Wall Street Journal, the Far Eastern Economic Review, Associated Press and Bloomberg News. He has also worked in New York, Beijing and Shanghai for the AP. He joined The New York Times in 2005.

Entries were received from 20 countries and in 11 languages, underscoring the global importance of issues and developments in the energy field.

The Energy of Word Award
The Energy of Word is an international media competition, organised by the Global Energy Prize. It was created to encourage journalists to cover the most urgent energy issues facing the world today, to promote analysis of global energy trends and to contribute to the search for answers to energy challenges. Initially established in 2004 as a Russia-wide competition, in 2011 the award was opened up to journalists from around the world for the first time.

The Global Energy Prize
http://www.globalenergyprize.org/en/
http://twitter.com/#!/ge_prize

The Global Energy Prize awards 33 million roubles (approx. US$1.17m) each year, and thus far has been granted to 27 scientists from around the globe, including past Laureates from the US, Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Russia, and Japan. The President of the Russian Federation participates in each year's award ceremony held at the conclusion of a week-long celebration of the awardees' work, Laureates' Week.  Other world leaders who have supported the prize include the former US President George W. Bush, former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, former French President Jacques Chirac and current Canadian Prime Minister, Steven Harper.

The Prize rewards innovation and solutions in global energy research and its concurrent environmental challenges. The degree to which a development contributes to the benefit of humanity is a key driver in deciding the recipient of the Prize.

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