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The relevance of James Lovelock’s research and philosophy to environmental science and academia |
Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva1( ), Panagiotis Tsigaris2() |
1. Independent Researcher, Ikenobe 3011-2, Kagawa-ken, 761-0799, Japan
2. Department of Economics, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, British Columbia, V2C 0C8, Canada |
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Abstract James E. Lovelock, famed for his Gaia hypothesis, which views the Earth as a living integrated and interconnected self-regulating system whose equilibrium comes about from complex energy-based interactions and feedback loops, ultimately sustaining life, passed away at the end of July, 2022 at the age of 103. Not only are the adaptive mechanisms of Gaia central to the conversation of environmental homeostasis, they lie at the heart of climate change and global warming. Lovelock is also remembered as the co-inventor of the electron capture detector that eventually allowed for the sensitive detection of chlorofluorocarbons and pesticides. Finally, Lovelock’s free-spirited nature and research independence allow academia to rethink current research’s modus operandi.
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| Keywords
Academic independence
Climate change
Electron capture detector
Environmental equilibrium
Global warming
Homeostasis
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Corresponding Author(s):
Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva,Panagiotis Tsigaris
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Issue Date: 21 September 2022
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| 1 |
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