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Dr. Peter H. Raven

President Emeritus, Missouri Botanical Garden

Expert Bio

Peter H. Raven is one of the world's leading botanists and advocates of conservation and biodiversity.

For four decades, he headed the Missouri Botanical Garden, an institution he nurtured into a world-class center for botanical research and education, and horticultural display. He retired as president in 2010 and assumed the role of president emeritus and consultant through 2014.

Described by Time magazine as a "Hero for the Planet," Raven champions research around the world to preserve endangered plants and is a leading advocate for conservation and a sustainable environment.

In recognition of his work in science and conservation, Raven is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including the prestigious International Prize for Biology from the government of Japan and the U.S. National Medal of Science, the country's highest award for scientific accomplishment. He has held Guggenheim and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation fellowships.

Raven was a member of President Bill Clinton's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. He also served for 12 years as home secretary of the National Academy of Sciences and is a member of the academies of science in Argentina, Brazil, China, Denmark, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, the U.K., and several other countries.

The author of numerous books and reports, both popular and scientific, Raven co-wrote Biology of Plants, an internationally best-selling textbook, now in its sixth edition. He also co-authored Environment, a leading textbook on the environment.

Studies, Articles and Answers

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Question

Q: How to asses the certainty that human induced GMO crops will not have an effect in biodiversity ? Specially for cross pollinated crops like alfalfa and corn.

Answered By Dr. Peter H. Raven - Jul 10, 2015

A: Agriculture itself has a major effect on reducing biodiversity: the conversion of about a third of the world’s land surface to croplands and pasture over the last 10,000 years has clearly been associated with hundreds of thousands of extinction events.  Continuing habitat destruction, global warming, the spread of some 20,000 species of invasive weedy plants, and the selective gathering of specific plants in nature are continuing to drive many species to extinction.  In that context, the relationship of various methods of improving crop species genetically – about a doze [...]

Answered By Dr. Peter H. Raven - Jul 10, 2015

A: Agriculture itself has a major effect on reducing biodiversity: the conversion of about a third of the world’s land surface to croplands and pasture over the last 10,000 years has clearly been associated with hundreds of thousands of extinction events.  Continuing habitat destruction, global warming, the spread of some 20,000 species of invasive weedy plants, and the selective gathering of specific plants in nature are continuing to drive many species to extinction.  In that context, the relationship of various methods of improving crop species genetically – about a doze [...]

Environment Crop protectants

Question

Q: How to asses the certainty that human induced GMO crops will not have an effect in biodiversity ? Specially for cross pollinated crops like alfalfa and corn.

Answered By Dr. Peter H. Raven - Jul 10, 2015

A: Agriculture itself has a major effect on reducing biodiversity: the conversion of about a third of the world’s land surface to croplands and pasture over the last 10,000 years has clearly been associated with hundreds of thousands of extinction events.  Continuing habitat destruction, global warming, the spread of some 20,000 species of invasive weedy plants, and the selective gathering of specific plants in nature are continuing to drive many species to extinction.  In that context, the relationship of various methods of improving crop species genetically – about a doze [...]

Answered By Dr. Peter H. Raven - Jul 10, 2015

A: Agriculture itself has a major effect on reducing biodiversity: the conversion of about a third of the world’s land surface to croplands and pasture over the last 10,000 years has clearly been associated with hundreds of thousands of extinction events.  Continuing habitat destruction, global warming, the spread of some 20,000 species of invasive weedy plants, and the selective gathering of specific plants in nature are continuing to drive many species to extinction.  In that context, the relationship of various methods of improving crop species genetically – about a doze [...]

Environment Crop protectants