Gaia hypothesis
(More references to come, hold your horses Human.... (I just had to go to bed last night)... I will prove my point... You'll see....) |
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Revision as of 09:26, 12 May 2009
Gaian Theory is the belief that the Earth's systems are biologically interconnected to develop an ecological equilibrium.
It is known to its adherents as the "Gaian Hypothesis" or even "Gaian Science". They assert that the physical components and systems of the Earth itself are linked together in a system that allows the Earth to maintain a "preferred" homeostasis. Orginally proposed by Dr. James Lovelock, it was given the name of Gaia after the Greek entity of Earth. Believers in this theory are, therefore, called "Gaianists."
Lovelock suggests that the biosphere and the physical components of the Earth (atmosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere) are closely integrated to form a complex interacting system that maintains the climatic and biogeochemical conditions on Earth in a preferred homeostasis He states that, because of this complex system, the Earth reacts to change just like any other body. For example, it reacts to disease (such as carbon dioxide pollution) with an immunity-like change (such as global warming, symbolized by a fever). Gaianist believers hold that the Earth's current climate changes will not cause total climate warming, but will, rather, send the global climate into a swing of weather extremes similar to its early history (for example, desert-like dryness in the summer, but ice age-like winters).
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Relationship to historical climate change
The most used example of the hypothesis is as an explanation of the historical climate changes and shifts of the Earth. It proposes that the biological makeup of Earth's population has changed relative to the brightness and heat of the Sun and that the younger Earth needed a more carbon dioxide based atmosphere to produce a greenhouse effect that helped warm the Earth. As the Sun grew brighter, the excess carbon was broken down and pushed underground (via mass extinctions such as what happened to the dinosaurs) through climate changes (covering the Earth with deserts and tundras). Thus, when people exhumed the carbon and released it back into the atmosphere, they created, essentially, a fever effect that could change the climate back to more polarized climate conditions (deserts and tundras) to push the carbon back underground.
Neopagan connection
The original hypothesis was proposed by Dr. James Lovelock who, being a chemist, used purely scientific research to back up his hypothesis, and also created the hypothesis and theory purely to explain and prove how the biological systems of the Earth have related on an historical basis. In recent years, however, followers certain Neopagan religions have adopted this theory in order to use it as proof of their Earth-based religions. Lovelock and other reasearchers of Gaian Theory, however, have specifically stated in the past that the theory does not, in any way, provide such proof.
External links
- See the Wikipedia article on Gaia hypothesis.
- The Mother Earth Metaphor
- The Earth Isn't Sick, She's Pregnant
- Stages in the Evolution of Gaia (Earth)
- Earth2: The Gaia Hypothesis
- The Evolving Gaia Theory
- Eveidence In Support Of A Gaian Earth
References
- Lovelock, James (2001), "Homage to Gaia: The Life of an Independent Scientist", (Oxford University Press)
- Margulis, Lynn (1998). Symbiotic Planet: A New Look at Evolution. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London. ISBN 0-297-81740-X.
- Marshall, A (2002) The Unity of Nature, Imperial College Press, London.
- Turney, Jon (2003), Lovelock and Gaia:Signs of Life Icon Books, UK [ISBN 1-84046-458-5]
- Lovelock, J.E.; Margulis, L. (1974). "Atmospheric homeostasis by and for the biosphere- The Gaia hypothesis". Tellus 26 (1): 2–10.
- Volk, Tyler (2003), "Gaia's Body; Toward a Physiology of Earth" (MIT Press)
- S.J.Gould: Kropotkin was no crackpot. Natural History 106 (June 1997): 12-21 see