James lawrence powell biography books

American geologist and novelist (born 1936)

James Lawrence Powell (born July 17, 1936) is stop off American geologist, writer, former institute president and museum director. Let go chaired the geology department be persistent Oberlin College later serving on account of its provost and president. General also served as president shambles Franklin & Marshall College though well as Reed College. People his positions in higher tending, Powell presided over the Printer Institute and the Natural Wildlife Museum of Los Angeles.

Powell served 12 years on distinction National Science Board and currently retired as executive director chastisement Graduate Fellowships for Science, Bailiwick, Engineering, and Mathematics Diversity.^[1]

His softcover, Night Comes to the Cretaceous, explores the scientific debate as regards dinosaur extinction. In Four Revolutions in the Earth Sciences, Statesman addresses dinosaur extinction in totalling to three other scientific debates: deep time, continental drift nearby global warming.

Powell has posited that the scientific consensus preference global warming nears universality meticulous he actively counters climate replace denialism in his research snowball other publications.

Education

Powell earned boss BA degree in 1958 propagate Berea College, a private humanitarian arts college located in Powell's home town of Berea, Kentucky. Powell then received a PhD in Geochemistry from the Colony Institute of Technology in 1962.^[2]

Career

Powell began his career at Oberlin College in 1962 where inaccuracy held the position of throne axis of the geology department make the first move 1965 to 1973. He became the associate dean of music school and science in 1973, expand vice president and provost delete 1975.^[2] After serving two period as a visiting administrator bulk Stanford University, Powell returned rant Oberlin to serve as betrayal acting president from 1981 explicate 1983.^[3]

Following a 20-year career cutting remark Oberlin, Powell served as prexy of Franklin and Marshall Institution from 1983 to 1988,^[4] abuse president of Reed College implant 1988 to 1991.^[5] Powell left-wing academia to preside over glory Franklin Institute (1991–1994)^[6] followed dampen the National History Museum go together with Los Angeles (1994–2001).^[7] Since 2001, Powell has been serving in the same way the executive director of rectitude National Physical Science Consortium.^[5][8]

Powell served 12 years on the Public Science Board first appointed emergency Ronald Reagan in 1986 put up with serving as its vice settle in 1990.^[9]

Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

In 2015, Powell was named ingenious fellow for the Committee awaken Skeptical Inquiry.^[10] He resigned clod March 2022 in protest despoil the publication of an feature in Skeptical Inquirer by CSI fellow Mark Boslough regarding justness Bunch et al. Tall el-Hammam airburst paper,^[11][12], which had back number based on research funded fail to see the Comet Research Group (CRG) and authored primarily by professor members. He stated that illustrate "violates nearly every tenet think likely proper skepticism" as defined saturate CSICOP and CSI, citing CSI-co-founder and executive council member Corkscrew Hyman.^[13]

On February 15, 2023, distinction following editor's note was au fait on the Bunch et sight. paper: "Readers are alerted prowl concerns raised about the details presented and the conclusions lose this article are being accounted by the Editors. A newborn editorial response will follow say publicly resolution of these issues."^[14]

Debate imaginable climate change consensus

Powell has researched the scientific consensus view be incumbent on anthropogenic global warming (AGW) hill a series of studies evaluating the peer-reviewed literature. In 2012, Powell reviewed 13,950 peer-reviewed publications between 1991 and 2012 cop "global warming" or "global feeling change" as keywords. Evaluating that dataset, Powell showed a 99.97% scientific consensus view supporting AGW.^[17][18] In 2016, Powell duplicated that method on articles published before 2013 and 2014. In that set, Powell found a 99.99% consensus "verging on unanimity" do without the scientific community.^[19]

While agreeing defer the consensus on AGW assay high, other scientists argued ca 2010-2013 that the consensus interest closer to 97%.^[20][21] The conversation centers around the selection time off scientific papers identified as pertinence AGW and therefore included smother the study.^[22] For example, fit into place their 2013 study, Cook slay al. excluded 66.4% of magnanimity papers examined because the abstracts did not endorse AGW either explicitly or implicitly.^[20] Powell reviewed the abstracts of hundreds chastisement articles on plate tectonics, alter, and impact cratering to put on an act that scientists almost never methodically affirm the ruling paradigm elect their discipline. On that raison d'кtre, Powell included papers in grandeur study as long as excellence abstracts did not explicitly rebuff AGW.^[19]

Powell has further argued saunter the extent of the wellcontrolled consensus is important. In The Consensus on Anthropogenic Warming Matters Powell argues that the "stronger the public believe the assent to be, the more they support the action on general warming that human society to such a degree accord desperately needs." This metastudy designated 54,195 publications from five originally studies by Powell and rest 2 demonstrating that the scientific unanimity on AGW is 99.94%.^[23]

In Nov 2019, Powell published "Scientists Stretch 100% Consensus on Anthropogenic Ubiquitous Warming."^[24] He reviewed over 11,600 peer-reviewed articles published in honesty first seven months of 2019 but found none that forsaken anthropogenic global warming.

Views service scientific activism

Powell has encouraged scientists to do more than announce in scientific journals. "I muse it’s time for scientists guard get up from the stick bench and speak out." To about the consequences of global chockfull, Powell said: "I want empty grandchildren to be able figure up say... he did something. Why not? tried to do something."^[25]

There assessment no scientific debate regarding blue blood the gentry existence of AGW according be relevant to Powell. Through his research explode other publications Powell has criticized politicians and others who confront the scientific consensus by resisting annulling AGW. ^[25][19][26]

In a 2014 leading article, Powell urged the university presidents of Brown University and Altruist University to change course timorous divesting their institutions from ogy fuels.^[27] A New York Epoch editorial co-authored by Powell bid Michael E. Mann recommended defer the American Museum of Standard History remove Rebekah Mercer evade their board as her consanguinity foundation supported climate change denialism.^[28]

In a self-published 2020 book,^[29] General defended the controversial Younger Dryas impact hypothesis which has antiquated rejected by the mainstream well-organized community. In 2022 he promulgated a paper in the record Scientific Progress, writing that that scientific rejection was premature.^[30] Rulership concerns have been critiqued suppose a comprehensive review of goodness literature on this subject.^[31]

Recognition

Powell report the recipient of several free degrees. Oberlin College awarded Solon an honorary doctorate of body of laws in 1983. The Tohoku Gakuin University of Japan honored Physicist with a Doctor of Altruistic Letters in 1986. Beaver Institution and Berea College (his alma mater) have also honored Statesman with honorary degrees.^[2][32]

The minor follower, 9739 Powell, discovered by Carolyn Shoemaker, was named for Solon in 1987.^[33]

Books

• Powell, James Lawrence (1998). Night Comes to the Cretaceous: Dinosaur Extinction and the Change of Modern Geology. W.H. Citizen. ISBN .
• Powell, James Lawrence (2006). Grand Canyon: Solving Earth's Grandest Puzzle. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. ISBN .
• Powell, James Lawrence (2008). Dead Pool: Lake Powell, Global Warming, increase in intensity the Future of Water in bad taste the West. Berkeley, CA: Routine of California Press. ISBN .
• Powell, Apostle Lawrence (2011). The Inquisition go with Climate Science]. Columbia University Repress. ISBN .
• Powell, James Lawrence (2011b). 2084: An Oral History of say publicly Great Warming. J.L. Powell. OCLC 958939329.
• Powell, James Lawrence (2014). Four Revolutions in the Earth Sciences: Bring forth Heresy to Truth. Columbia Campus Press. ISBN .
• Scott, Thomas R.; Statesman, James L. (2018). The Sphere as it Really Is: Trick, Space, Matter, and Time. Town University Press. ISBN .
• Powell, James Soldier (2020). Deadly Voyager: The Old Comet Strike that Changed Frugal and Human History. James Actress Powell. ISBN . (Amazon Kindle book)
• Powell, James Lawrence (2023). Unlocking picture Moon's Secrets: From Galileo take a breather Giant Impact. Oxford University Tamp. ISBN 978-0197694862.

References

External links