Dag O. Hessen, Professor of Biology, University of Oslo, and chair of the Centre for Biogeochemistry in the Anthropocene (CBA) – Norway
Dag O. Hessen has been nominated for the Nordic Council Environment Prize 2020.
Professor Hessen has a natural talent for communication. His gentle, non-judgemental style makes him popular with both children and adults, and a familiar face on national television.Active at the point where biology, ecology and philosophy converge, one common denominator for all of his work is science-based arguments for preserving biodiversity, combined with a focus on how nature contributes to public health and general human happiness.
In his day-to-day work at CBA, Hessen looks at the interconnections between climate and ecosystem processes. His research is widely recognised, internationally published and has won a host of awards. One area of particular interest is how different ecosystem functions are essential for carbon capture and, therefore, climate change. According to Hessen, this is a key but often overlooked aspect of debates surrounding nature conservation and protection of our ecosystems.
Through his research, outreach and writing, Dag O. Hessen has made an extraordinary contribution to our understanding of nature and diversity.
“Humankind is also nature, and much of our relationship with (other) nature must be understood on that basis