350.org founder Bill McKibben receives ‘Alternative Nobel’ award

Renowned US environmentalist Bill McKibben will be one of the recipients of this year’s Right Livelihood Awards, known as the ‘Alternative Nobel’, it has been announced.

McKibben is the founder of the campaign group 350.org, which is lobbying around the world to build an international movement to stop climate change.

The author and journalist is widely credited with popularising fossil fuel divestment, after communicating the concept in his 2012 Rolling Stone article – Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math.

The announcement also follows the People’s Climate March, which saw around 600,000 people take to the streets around the world to demand climate action on Sunday.

Coordinated by 350.org, the march united demonstrators from London to Melbourne and Delhi to Rio.

“This is a great honour but clearly it belongs mostly to the people who make up 350.org – it’s them, but above all the hundreds of thousands of volunteers in 191 countries, who have built the first global grassroots movement to deal with the largest crisis civilization has ever faced,” McKibben said of the award.

The award comes with a cash prize of 500,000 SEK (£42,530), which will be used to fund further environmental efforts, 350.org revealed.

“This recognition of our efforts comes at a perfect moment after the remarkable success of the People’s Climate March and as we start the strongest push yet against the fossil fuel industry and the politicians it has purchased,” McKibben added.

This year’s prize will also go to human rights activists Asma Jahangir and Basil Fernando, and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, who will receive a joint Honorary Award.

Photo: the School of Natural Resources

Further reading:

People’s Climate March: 600,000 demand climate action

UN Climate Summit: 350.org launch global call to action

Divestment: over 300 churches vote to end fossil fuels investment

Bill McKibben on fossil fuels: ‘divestment is the answer’

Bill McKibben: ‘coal needs to stay in the ground if we want to tackle climate change’