Merchants of Doubt

by

Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway

Bert Bolin was a respected Swedish meteorologist who wrote an important early report on acid rain in 1971. He later helped found the IPCC and served as its first chair from 1988–1997. He was also one of the few scientists who publicly defended climate research against the “merchants of doubt” and their George C. Marshall Institute.
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Bert Bolin Character Timeline in Merchants of Doubt

The timeline below shows where the character Bert Bolin appears in Merchants of Doubt. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
Capitalism and the Environment Theme Icon
...coal were causing acid rain in remote places like Hubbard Brook. In 1971, Swedish meteorologist Bert Bolin published the first comprehensive report on acid rain’s significant environmental dangers, and over the next... (full context)
Chapter 6
Science, Trust, and Public Policy Theme Icon
Media Bias Theme Icon
...they had done for ozone a few years before. They formed the IPCC and named Bert Bolin as its first chair. The administration also began investing in climate change research. (full context)
Science, Trust, and Public Policy Theme Icon
...the George C. Marshall Institute continued blaming the sun and publishing erroneous graphs, even after Bert Bolin and other climate scientists publicly corrected them, and the White House continued listening to the... (full context)
Science, Trust, and Public Policy Theme Icon
Capitalism and the Environment Theme Icon
Media Bias Theme Icon
...deleting the forty other scientists’ names. The Journal also heavily edited a similar letter from Bert Bolin and the IPCC chairman John Houghton. The American Meteorological Society independently republished the letters to... (full context)