Tag: James Lovelock

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February 6, 1975  – The Quest for Gaia

Fifty one years ago, on this day, February 6, 1975, the UK magazine New Scientist published an article about, well The Quest for Gaia.

Lovelock formulated the Gaia Hypothesis in journal articles in 1972[1] and 1974,[2] followed by a popularizing 1979 book Gaia: A new look at life on Earth. An article in the New Scientist of February 6, 1975,[39] and a popular book length version of the hypothesis, published in 1979 as The Quest for Gaia, began to attract scientific and critical attention.

Lovelock and Sidney Epton, “The Quest for Gaia,” New Scientist, 6 Feb. 1975, p. 304;

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 331ppm. As of 2026 it is 428ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The broader context was that Lovelock had been thinking about all this stuff for a while (see also his atmospheric pollution work for Shell in the 1960s!) here and here.

The specific context was that by the mid-1970s the idea that positivist science was good at some stuff and might also be missing bigger parts of the bigger picture had really caught on.

(see also Dr Who and the Green Death!)

What I think we can learn from this is that Lovelock’s hypothesis (disputed) has gained traction and attention, for reasons both sound and unsound.

What happened next:  The Gaia hypothesis got a signal boost during the excellent thriller “Edge of Darkness” in the mid-1980s.
Lovelock lived to a very ripe old age, and warned about anthropogenic climate change repeatedly.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

Also on this day: 

February 6, 1969 – Senate Select Committee warned about CO2 build up by Professor Harry Bloom

February 6, 1995 – Australian business versus a carbon tax

February 6, 2001: ExxonMobil Lobbyist Calls on White House to Remove Certain Government Climate Scientists

February 6, 2007 – Rudd taunts Howard on 2003 ETS decision
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June 9, 1966 – Lovelock’s report

Fifty-nine  years ago, on this day, June 9th, 1966 , James Lovelock wrote a report.

Lovelock, “Combustion of Fossil Fuel: Large Scale Atmospheric Effects,” 9 June 1966,

box 34, Archive Collection of Professor James Lovelock, Science Museum Library and Archives,

Science Museum at Wroughton; hereafter abbreviated “CFF.”  See Aronowsky Critical Inquiry

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 321ppm. As of 2025 it is 430ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The broader context was that from 1953 scientists, with Gilbert Plass in the vanguard, then Roger Revelle etc, were banging on about carbon dioxide.  By 1966 lots and lots of people knew about the outline of the problem.  What Lovelock was commissioned to do was no huge biggie…

The specific context was that Lovelock was asked to do this by Shell, which had had a “nothing to see here, really” article in New Scientist in 1958.

What I think we can learn from this

As human beings – we knew plenty.

As “active citizens”  we knew plenty.

Academics might like to ponder – knowledge doesn’t amount to power or efficacy. But who cares, as long as you get citations, eh?

What happened next Lovelock’s paper was read by top UK scientist Graham Sutton (formerly of the Met Office) in January 1967, and a senior civil servant (and possible spy?) Victor Rothschild, said it should be kept shtum (LINK).

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

If you want to get involved, let me know.

If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).

Also on this day: 

June 9, 1989 – the Australian Labor Party versus the unions versus the planet #climate – All Our Yesterdays

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January 27, 1967 – James Lovelock told to keep schtum about climate change by Shell science boss

Fifty seven years ago, on this day, January 27th 1967,

Rothschild’s response was to insist that Lovelock refrain from discussing the topic—“the weather getting colder, and the cause possibly being fossil fuel combustion products in the atmosphere”—with “non-Shell people.”14 He encouraged Lovelock to continue his visits to NCAR in order to “monitor the work [being] done” on the issue.

14. Rothschild, letter to Lovelock, 27 Jan. 1967, box 76, part 3, Archive Collection of Professor James Lovelock. 

This is quoted in Leah Aronowsky’s excellent paper (see references below).

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 322ppm. As of 2024 it is 422ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was that Lovelock had written this paper with the Shell people, and had been been told to shut up. Partly presumably for fear of alarming the savages, and getting in the way of I didn’t know further coal and oil exploration?

What happened next? Lovelock as far as I know, did keep schtum.  But then, Victor Rothschild, boss of science for Shell, was his friend…

Lovelock, J. 2000. Homage to Gaia.

That was good question. When did Lovelock start going public? And this is the kind of thing you can use to generate questions for further study. 

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

References

Aronowsky, L. (2021). Gas guzzling Gaia, or: a prehistory of climate change denialism. Critical Inquiry, 47(2), 306-327

Also on this day: 

January 27, 1989 – UN General Assembly starts talking #climate

January 27, 1986 – Engineers try to stop NASA launching the (doomed) Challenger Space Shuttle

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January 24, 1967 – Senior British scientist says “by no means can (C02) report be dismissed as science fiction”…

Fifty seven years ago, on this day, January 24th, 1967,

Such a forecast was certainly disquieting. Upon reviewing the document, Graham Sutton, inaugural chairman of Britain’s recently established Natural Environment Research Council, stressed that “by no means” should the report be “dismissed as ‘science fiction,’” though he conceded that “one cannot yet tell if the decline in temperature is part of an old old story of natural fluctuations or is something triggered off or enhanced by pollution.”13

13. Graham Sutton, letter to Victor Rothschild, 24 Jan. 1967, box 76, part 3, Archive Collection of Professor James Lovelock.

Leah Aronowsky, 2021

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 322ppm. As of 2024 it is 422ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was that Graham Sutton, former Met Office boss, was head of the newly established Natural Environment Research Council and probably wanted to have a relative lid on such seemingly outlandish claims. And you see the sorts of claims of responsible men to damp and things down but fairplay to Sutton he didn’t do that. 

By now, the BBC had already broadcast Challenge, in January of 1967…

But then what did Sutton do? What did NERC do? It’s a good question. 

What we can learn. There were conversations going on among scientific elites about this. 

What happened next the following year, July 1968. Lord Kennett made what’s so far the earliest mention of the greenhouse effect by an elected politician (or at least a minister in an elected government!). Then in 1970, in August, it blew up publicly. And here we are. 

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

References

Aronowsky, L. (2021). Gas guzzling Gaia, or: a prehistory of climate change denialism. Critical Inquiry, 47(2), 306-327

Also on this day: 

January 24, 1984 – Canadian TV documentary and discussion about #climate 

January 24, 2017 – Climate activist is court in the act