Alexander Von Humboldt

Earlier in out climate columns I wrote about scientific “giants”. I wrote about John Tyndall, Milutin Milankovich, Svante Arrhenius, and I included a woman, Eunice Foote. Had our society respected and encouraged the scientific work of women and given women the same opportunities she would, possibly, have been included in the world’s rankings, not just mine.

I missed one giant, and it is an embarrassment to me that I overlooked him. He sits at the top with few equals.  His name is Alexander von Humboldt. Unfortunately, recent history (and I) overlooked him until a talented author, Andrea Wulf, resurrected his life and brilliance in her highly acclaimed book, “The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt’s New World”. *

Born in 1769 in the Kingdom of Prussia, he became the world’s premier naturalist. He lived to 89.  In a 100-year celebration of his birth in 1869, eleven years after his passing, international celebrations were launched to recognize his contribution to mankind’s understanding of the world.

Can you imagine hundreds of thousands of people joining together to celebrate the life of a scientist?  From Berlin to New York City, from Buenos Aires To Sydney, Australia, citizens came out to recognize his contribution to human knowledge. To give you an idea of his stature, there are more places and species named after him than any other human being. His name identifies flowers as small as orchid, or waters as massive an ocean current, or geographic features as high as a mountain.

   Why is he so important? He was a keen-eyed observer. He was an expert on plants, animals, geology, agriculture, and forestry. He was, in my opinion, the last of the Michael Angelo’s based on the breadth and depth of his knowledge. But, much more importantly, he could take his knowledge of different disciplines and unite them in a way that makes it possible for you and I to understand natures “connections”.

He was the first to understand the consequences of man’s impact on nature and the inevitable consequences we face if we do not embrace stewardship. He was the first scientist, in 1800 and then again in 1831, to warn us that there could be climate consequences from industrialization.

Today, modern scientists have confirmed his warnings. They are, with a sense of urgency, detailing these climate consequences and attempting to communicate them to us. They are also detailing hundreds of ways to slow the rise of the earth’s temperature.

Travel, for Alexander von Humboldt, opened the door to understanding and wonder. He and his team documented and drew all they were capable of.  He realized that all natures connections may never be understood completely. Some of these connections may be beyond human understanding.

 One of the many places he explored was South America. He loved the wilderness of South America much like we love our U.P. Wilderness. He immersed himself in it, exploring it for 5 years.   Perhaps, he would have called it paradise. Certainly, nature’s interconnections were miracles for him to observe and ponder.

And, he would have warned us that paradise neglected, could be paradise lost.

*Libraries are great places to find great books…for free!