Expert on climate change to be honored by DRI

James E. Hansen, a climate change expert and director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, will be awarded the 2008 Nevada Medal from the Desert Research Institute during ceremonies in Las Vegas and Reno in April, DRI officials said Monday.

Hansen has testified before Congress on the effects of greenhouse gases on Earth's climate and his research has appeared in scientific publications, making him known "as a consistent voice warning about the potential effects of climate change," according to a statement from the institute.

The Nevada Medal was established in 1988 to recognize outstanding achievement in science and engineering. The award includes a $20,000 honorarium.