London, July 27 (EFE).- British scientist and inventor James Lovelock, author of the Gaia hypothesis and environmental pioneer, died Tuesday, on his 103rd birthday, at his home in Abbotsbury, Dorset (southwest England), his family reported. this Wednesday.

The climatologist is especially known for his Gaia hypothesis, which was formulated in 1969 and which states that the Earth acts as a self-regulating organism, which is damaged by humans by its activities.

It also helps raise awareness of climate risks from fossil fuels, industrial pollution, and harmful gases in the ozone layer.

“To the world, he is known as a pioneering scientist, weather prophet, and creator of the Gaia theory. To us, he was a loving husband and wonderful father with boundless curiosity, a mischievous sense of humor and a passion for nature.”

“Until six months ago, he was still able to walk along the beach near his home in Dorset and take part in interviews, but his health deteriorated after a severe fall earlier in the year. He died at 9:55 p.m. (Tuesday local time) due to complications related to that fall,” the note added, noting that the funeral would be private and a “remembrance ceremony” would be held later.

An independent and sometimes controversial scientist, Lovelock worked in the United States and Britain – including for their secret services – and spent much of his life advocating measures to combat climate change, including the use of nuclear energy, long before it was recognized that there was a global warming crisis. .

Born in 1919 in the English city of Letchworth, he studied chemistry at the University of Manchester (northern England) and later studied other subjects at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

During his stay in the United States, he carried out various investigations at Yale University – when he developed electron capture detectors for finding contaminants -, Baylor University School of Medicine and Harvard University.