James Lovelock passed away on his 103rd birthday. His family said he died at home surrounded by his family.
Lovelock, who was one of the UK's most respected independent scientists, had been in good health until he had a bad fall.
He was known as a maverick and had been making predictions from his one-man laboratory since the 1960's.
Life on Earth is a self-regulating community of organisms interacting with each other. The biosphere is in the last 1% of its life according to him.
James Lovelock passed away in his home surrounded by his family on his 103rd birthday. He was best known for his work as a climate prophet and as a scientist. He was a loving husband and father with a passion for nature and a mischievous sense of humor.
His health deteriorated after a bad fall earlier this year and he was no longer able to walk along the coast. He died of a fall. The funeral won't be open to the public. A memorial service will be held later. Privacy is requested by the family.
The news is sad, but what a life and legacy Lovelock had, said Jonathan Watts, the Guardian's global environment editor. He had a great memory for events that happened almost a century ago, until recently. He shared intimate details from his life.
It was great to speak to one of Britain's greatest minds. Many of the most important scientific events of the 20th century were shaped by a man who was here.
Many others started to notice the crisis after Lovelock started advocating for it. He didn't think there was hope of avoiding the worst effects of the climate crisis.
Without Lovelock, environmental movements across the globe would not have begun. Toxic chemicals were showing up in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil where we grow our food in the 1960's. He was the first to confirm the presence of fluorocarbons in the stratosphere and issued one of the earliest warnings that petroleum products were damaging the climate.
The basis for Earth system science and a new understanding of the interplay between life, clouds, rocks and the atmosphere was laid down by his Gaia theory. He warned of the dangers that humanity posed to the extraordinary web of relations that make Earth unique.
As he felt it was important to warn the world of the impending climate catastrophe, Lovelock was passionate about his work. He said in a lecture that he wouldn't have a comfortable retirement because of this.
Lovelock said that he was not relaxing into retirement because he was concerned about climate change and the need to do something about it now.
It was ridiculed when he first proposed it. Much of the climate science is based on it. He was controversial because he advocated for nuclear energy. Many people agree with his opinion.
Lovelock invented a device that could detect chlorofluorocarbons, which are harmful to the ozone layer.
He is survived by his wife, family and friends.
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