The 2001 Volvo Environment Prize was awarded to Dr. George M. Woodwell for his pre-eminent and pioneering work addressing questions of how the world works as a single biophysical system with relevance to man, and how to tailor human activities to environmental imperatives. He has been instrumental in forging abundant pathways between ecological research and public affairs. He has participated in the founding of a number of thriving institutions that continue to lead in today’s world of science and policy. At the same time, he has effectively promoted the environmental cause in political arenas, in the popular press and through other media and through a multiplicity of activities in NGOs.