With Jonathan Watts, the Global environmental correspondent for The Guardian and author of “The Many Lives of James Lovelock: Science, Secrets and Gaia Theory”

EVENT INFORMATION

James Lovelock is best known for his association with the Gaia Hypothesis - which proposed

that living organisms interact with their surroundings to create a self-regulating system and

thereby maintain conditions suitable for life on Earth. This event will look at his life and

legacy and whether Lovelock’s pioneering environmental work offers us guidance now.

As with the previous eco-pioneers investigated in this series (Rachel Carson, Barry

Commoner, Ian McHarg, Sherry Arnstein and Fritz Schumacher) Lovelock influenced a

generation. Lovelock perhaps uniquely also spawned a vast array of Gaia related businesses

from coffee shops, to research institutes and even big pharma. Amongst the earliest were

Gaia Architects in Scotland and Norway.

The Eco Max series is dedicated to Howard Liddell who was the founder and principal of

Gaia Architects from 1990 until his death at the age of 67 in 2013. Howard book Eco-

minimalism: the Antidote to Eco-Bling (2008, 2013 was always intended to be the first half

of the story. He was aiming to write a further book Eco-Max based on the legacy of his eco-

heroes. His widow, Sandy Liddell Halliday, founded and sponsors this series of talks, in

collaboration with the Scottish Ecological Design Association, of which Howard was a

founder member.

Lovelock remains a controversial figure, a uniquely gifted independent scientist, inventor

and thinker who, amongst other things, invented the electron capture detector that allowed

him to detect the widespread presence of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere.

He infuriated many of his Gaia-fan followers by his abiding techno-optimistic approach,

including his support for nuclear power and space travel.

Jon Watts, the global environmental correspondent for the Guardian, was given unique

access to author Lovelock’s official biography. He will present an overview and there will be

a structured interview followed by an open Q& A session and a book signing.

EVENT DETAILS

Saturday 9 th August 2025

12noon – 2pm

Please book early so that we can get a clear idea of numbers.