Image source: Bruno Comby [1]
Now a common name in climate change discourse, James Lovelock became famous as the founder of the Gaia hypothesis, but is also known for his stance on global warming. He put forth his theory while working for NASA, which states that the earth functions as a self-regulating system. Now age 98, Lovelock considers himself a scientist, environmentalist, and futurist.
Born and raised in England, Lovelock’s parents were strong believers in education, but he could not afford to go to college following high school, so he worked to raise funds until he was accepted into University of Manchester. There he studied chemistry, and then went on to receive his PhD from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In Lovelock’s lifetime, he has had the opportunity to conduct research and work at some of the most prestigious universities and agencies throughout the United States. However, he considers himself an independent scientist, which he says is how more people should conduct themselves.
As a child, math was difficult for Lovelock because of his dyslexia, but he always enjoyed chemistry. Obviously, this setback in math has not held him back from achieving great things. In addition to the Gaia hypothesis, he was the first person to discover that chemical toxicants were destroying the ozone layer- a discovery that has shown its extensive impact across the world today. As a result, Lovelock is very active in climate change efforts, and advocates for changes in our emission behaviors to save the health of the planet.
To learn more about James Lovelock, read this article [2] from The Guardian. Also, this Rolling Stones article [3] describes what Lovelock thought about the future of the planet in 2007.