Naomi Oreskes

Naomi Oreskes is a Professor of the History of Science and an Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. She is recognized for her extensive research in the earth and environmental sciences, focusing significantly on understanding scientific consensus and dissent. Oreskes has developed a prominent reputation for her insights into the role of science in society and the reality of anthropogenic climate change.

She authored "The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change," which has been widely cited and was notably featured in Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth." Oreskes is also the author or co-author of several influential books, including "Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming," which was shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and received the 2011 Watson-Davis Prize from the History of Science Society. Her other notable works include "The Collapse of Western Civilization," "Discerning Experts," "Why Trust Science?," and "Science on a Mission: American Oceanography from the Cold War to Climate Change."

Oreskes has disseminated her scholarly perspectives through various media, writing op-ed pieces for prestigious publications like The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Nature, and Science. She has been honored with grants from respected bodies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Philosophical Society, reflecting her impactful contributions to historical and scientific discourse. Her accolades include the 2019 Geological Society of America Mary C. Rabbitt Award, the 2016 Stephen Schneider Award for outstanding Climate Science Communication, and she has been named a Guggenheim Fellow for her continuing work with Erik Conway. Additionally, she was featured in a New York Times article titled "Naomi Oreskes, a Lightning Rod in a Changing Climate" and delivered a TED Talk titled "Why We Should Trust Scientists," further affirming her role as a critical voice in contemporary scientific debates.