Prince of Monaco honors scientists, addresses rising ocean levels

For the first time ever, the Prince Albert the Second of Monaco Foundation held its awards ceremony here in the U.S.

The event took place right here in our desert, at the Sunnylands Estate in Rancho Mirage, and honored some of the top environmentalist from around the world for their work.

Among the receipients, Oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Explorer-in-residence of the National Geographic Society, and founder of Mission Blue and SEAlliance.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be awarded recognition by his Serene Highness Prince Albert,” Earle said.

The awards ceremony Sunday night concluded a 3 day retreat held by Prince Albert’s foundation focusing on climate change and its connection to rising sea levels. The conference also held at the Sunnylands Estate, brought together world leaders and top scientists, including from Southern California.

“You can’t just address climate issues by looking up, you also have to look down and out into the ocean. It governs climate and weather.” Earle said.

Anote Tong, President of Kiribati, a small island nation in the pacific ocean, south of Hawaii attended the retreat. The country at risk as sea levels rise was a major discussion during the meetings.

“Our situation is such that our islands are really about 2 meters above sea level on average, and so when the tides come, we’re always in trouble. Earlier this year we had extra high tides and we suffered some very severe damage,” said President Tong.

“I believe that to be able to expose the situation of this man and his people as we all citizens of this world, living on this planet, and we are the eyes and the ears of this planet, to be able to communicate this situation,” said Maguy Maccario Doyle, U.S. Ambassador of Monaco.

Prince Albert, in attendance with his wife Princess Charlene for the awards ceremony, started his foundation in 2006. The president of the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands says it was a honor he chose the estate to hold the event for the first time here in the U.S.

“You know there is a history here, in which, Prince Albert is also building on the fact that his mother was here too,” said Geoffrey Cowan.

“Sunnylands has always been a location where great issues are discussed,” said Maguy Maccario Doyle, U.S. Ambassador of Monaco.