Jim L. Bowyer

Dr. Bowyer is Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. He currently writes a monthly series on responsible consumption as Senior Contributor to Dovetail Partners, Inc. – a nonprofit organization that provides authoritative information about the impacts and trade-offs of environmental decisions, including consumption choices, land use, and policy alternatives (www.dovetailinc.org).

Bowyer has worked as a forest aide, firefighter, timber cruiser, and wilderness area trail patrol in national forests of Wyoming and Colorado, devoted over 36 years in academic teaching and research at the University of Minnesota focused on biomaterials science, life cycle assessment, and global raw material trends, and for over a decade has worked as an environmental consultant in his own company and with Dovetail Partners.

He has served as President of the Forest Products Society (1993–94) and of the Society of Wood Science and Technology (1987–88), Vice President of the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (1992–2003) – an association of fourteen major North American Universities organized for the purpose of conducting life cycle assessments of renewable materials and products, and Board Member (1994–2008) and Chairman (2006–2008) of the Tropical Forest Foundation – an organization with major operations in Brazil, Guyana, Indonesia, and Gabon. He is an Elected Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science

Bowyer is co-author of "Forest Products and Wood Science", 1st through 5th editions, and author of six book chapters and over 400 scientific articles. The 2nd edition of his latest book – "The Irresponsible Pursuit of Paradise" – was released by Levins Publishing in September 2017. He has published widely on the topics of life cycle assessment, carbon tracking and reporting, bioenergy, green building standards, and environmental policy and is a frequent speaker nationally and internationally on these topics.