Ronald Oxburgh, Baron Oxburgh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Oxburgh
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| Born | 2 November 1934 |
| Alma mater | University College, Oxford Princeton University |
| Spouse(s) | Ursula, Lady Oxburgh |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Bigsby Medal (1979) |
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | Geology of the eastern Carabobo area, Venezuela (1960) |
| Doctoral advisor | Harry Hammond Hess |
Ernest Ronald Oxburgh, also known as Baron Oxburgh, was born on November 2, 1934. He is an English geologist (someone who studies Earth's rocks and history), a geophysicist (someone who studies Earth's physical processes), and a politician. Lord Oxburgh is well-known for speaking out about the need to reduce carbon dioxide pollution. He also champions the development of new, clean energy sources. He has often shared his concerns about the effects of using too much oil.
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Early Life and Education
Oxburgh was born in Liverpool, England. He lived there with his family during World War II, even with air raids happening. He went to Liverpool Institute High School for Boys from 1942 to 1950. He later studied at University College, Oxford and then at Princeton University. He earned his PhD in 1960. At Princeton, he worked with the famous geologist Harry Hammond Hess. They studied the new idea of plate tectonics, which explains how Earth's large plates move.
A Career in Science and Leadership
Lord Oxburgh has taught geology and geophysics at important universities. These include the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. At Cambridge, he was a professor and led the Department of Earth Sciences. He also served as the President of Queens' College.
He was also a visiting professor at several top American universities. These include Stanford, Caltech, and Cornell. From 1988 to 1993, Lord Oxburgh was the main scientific advisor for the Ministry of Defence. He was also the head of Imperial College London from 1993 to 2000.
Working with Energy and Climate Change
From 2004 to 2005, Lord Oxburgh was the non-executive chairman of Shell UK. Shell is a very large company that deals with fossil fuels. Even while leading this company, he spoke about his "fears for the planet" because of climate change. He actively looked for new energy sources. He also urged countries around the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Lord Oxburgh has held many important roles. He was Deputy Chairman of the Science and Engineering Research Council in Singapore. He is also the honorary president of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association. This group works on capturing carbon dioxide before it enters the air. He has advised companies focused on renewable energy, like wind power. He was also involved with D1 Oils, a company that makes biodiesel.
Investigating Climate Research
In 2010, Lord Oxburgh was chosen to lead an investigation. This inquiry looked into research done by the Climatic Research Unit. This happened after some emails from the unit were leaked. The report, released on April 14, 2010, found that the research was done with "integrity." It stated that claims of dishonesty were "not valid."
Some people criticized Oxburgh's role. They said he had connections to businesses that might benefit from the report's findings. However, the University of East Anglia, where the research unit is located, did not see a conflict of interest. They explained that it is hard to find experts who have no opinions on global warming. It is also difficult to find experts who have the necessary experience to review the science.
Personal Life
While studying at Princeton University, Ernest Oxburgh married his fiancée, Ursula. They have three children together. Lord Oxburgh enjoys being outdoors. He used to love orienteering (a sport using a map and compass) and running marathons. After knee surgery, he now enjoys mountain hikes with his wife.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Lord Oxburgh has received many awards and honors for his work:
- He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1992.
- He became a Life Peer in 1999, which means he was given the title Baron Oxburgh. This allowed him to sit in the House of Lords. He works there as a crossbencher, meaning he doesn't belong to a specific political party.
- He is an honorary fellow at St Edmund Hall and University College, Oxford.
- He received the Platts Life Time Achievement Award in 2007.
- He is a fellow of the Royal Society, a very old and respected scientific group.
- He is also a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
- He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
- He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
- He received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Leeds University in 2009.
- He was given Singapore Honorary Citizenship in 2012.
- He received the Melchett Medal from the British Energy Institute in 2014.
