Top prize for Independent's Science Editor

The world's most eminent space and earth scientists have awarded Steve Connor, Science Editor of The Independent the David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism.

It is the first time a British science journalist on a UK national newspaper has won the prestigious award for science news reporting, given by the American Geophysical Union, in Washington DC. The awards committee said Connor's December 2010 article ("Expect more extreme winters thanks to global warming, say scientists") was "not only well-written but also stands out because it (a) brings public attention to an apparent paradox and in doing so corrects misconceptions about AGU science, (b) features science reporting superior to that found in many climate-change articles, and (c) is well linked to daily life making it accessible to a general audience". The award is named after San Francisco Chronicle science reporter David Perlman, who is still working aged 91.