The Nobel Peace prize has been awarded and this year's prize goes to Wangari Muta Maathai. Maathai is the Kenyan Deputy Environmental Minster, and is best known her work as leader of the Green Belt Movement. This group has planted in excess of 30 million trees across Africa.

This marks an interesting shift in the awarding of this particular prize:

The award marks a new environmental theme in interpreting the 1895 will of Swedish philanthropist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite who founded the prestigious prize.

Until now it has most usually gone to people seeking to end armed conflicts.

"Peace on earth depends on our ability to secure our living environment," said Ole Danbolt Mjoes, the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

This makes sense to me. Securing our living environment is very important, although that involves more than just trees and air. The biggest environmental disaster in recent history was on 9/11. It had a very negative effect on the natural environment, not to mention the damaged caused to the economic, physiological and psychological environment.

I'm happy for Wangari Muta Maathai, and especially because the award did not go to U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei, who many felt was the clear favorite.

UPDATE: Paul at Wizbang points out a little moonbattery on her part.