Al Gore and Amos Oz Among 2008 Dan David Prize Winners
Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Three $1 million awards to be presented

The laureates, who donate 10% of their prize money towards 20 doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships, will be honored at a ceremony on May 19, 2008, at Tel Aviv University in the presence of the President of the State of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres. The Dan David Prize is named after international businessman and philanthropist Dan David. It is headquartered at Tel Aviv University, whose President, Prof. Zvi Galil, serves as Chairman of its Board.

The 2008 Dan David Prize laureates, in the Past, Present and Future Time Dimensions, are:

Past -- sharing the prize in the field of "Creative Rendering of the Past -- Literature, Theater, Film":

• Amos Oz (Arad, Israel) for portraying historical events while emphasizing the individual, and for his personal exploration of the tragic conflict between two nations. view.
• Tom Stoppard (London, Britain) for being a master playwright whose plays demonstrate farcical cleverness alongside profound humanity and faith in goodness, beauty and love.
• Atom Egoyan (Canada) for his superb modernist filmmaking which explores Armenian history and culture.
  

Present -- in the field of "Social Responsibility with Particular Emphasis on the Environment":

• Al Gore (former Vice President of the United States) for his multiple contributions to creating greater worldwide awareness of the disastrous effects that man’s energy consumption has on the environment.
  

Future -- sharing the prize in the field of "Geosciences":

• Ellen Moseley-Thompson and Lonnie G. Thompson (Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA), jointly, for their separate and joint efforts in studying the geological and environmental records in ice cores.
• Geoffrey Eglinton (University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom) for his studies of organic chemical fossils, which revealed the inhabitants and climates of ancient worlds.
  

"The constellation of laureates is particularly meaningful at this time," said Mr. Dan David, on the announcement of the 2008 winners. "On the one hand great creators depicting historical events in literature, theater and film; on the other eminent scientists whose research predicts environmental disaster if we do not act; and in between a man working to promote awareness of this prediction and its remedies so that human history will continue to be told for generations to come".

For more information, visit the Dan David Web site at http://www.dandavidprize.org/.