Gaia theory james lovelock pdf merge

James lovelock the greatest environmentalist sustainable. The gaia hypothesis has since been supported by a number of scientific experiments20 and provided a number of useful. Gaia, the grand idea 5 gaia is the earth seen as a single physiological system, an entity that is alive at least to the extent that, like other living organisms, its chemistry and temperature are selfregulated at a state favourable for life. Just as when the sperm merges with the egg, new life was.

Specifically, the studies were intended to develop a method for determining reliably whether or not biological life existed on mars. While controversial at first, various forms of this idea became accepted to some degree by many within the scientific community. Much as the gaia theory considers our earth as an integrated whole of living systems, the earth and i. Pdf james lovelock, gaia theory, and the rejection of. Gaia hypothesis, model of the earth in which its living and nonliving parts are viewed as a complex interacting system that can be thought of as a single organism. He is best known for proposing the gaia hypothesis, which postulates that the earth functions as a selfregulating system with a phd in medicine, lovelock began his career performing cryopreservation experiments on rodents, including successfully thawing frozen specimens.

At that instant the living things, the rocks, the air, and the oceans merged to form the new entity, gaia. Stephen miller, 1989 all quotes from james lovelock, taken from the ages of gaia. We are the intelligent elite among animal life on earth and whatever our mistakes, earth needs us. Apr 30, 2008 david suzuki talks with james lovelock about the origins of his gaia hypothesis, which suggests that the earth is one organism. The theory asserts that living organisms and their inorganic surroundings have evolved together as a single living system that greatly affects the chemistry and conditions of earths surface. Long ago the greeks, thinking this way, gave to the earth the name gaia or, for short, ge. From the documentary series the sacred balance, produced by. While joining rudimentary gene components, such processes could enable microorganisms to reach metabolic autonomy andor to produce. Beautiful minds james lovelock the gaia hypothesis gaia. But according to james lovelock, the theory s originator, that organism is now sick. In the revenge of gaia, bestselling author james lovelock father of climate studies and originator of the influential gaia theory which views the entire earth as. How james lovelock introduced gaia to an unsuspecting world.

We feel that we belong here as if this planet were indeed our home. After postulating there was a force for life on earth, in which all biology participates gaia this system may fight back, or limit the species which threatens to overwhelm nature. The concept of the gaia hypothesis originates from the 1960s when british scientist and independent researcher james lovelock began his work with nasa on developing methods to detect life on mars. The gaia hypothesis james lovelock 1979 earth is a super organism it is alive like one single organism name is from greek earth godess gaia one step further than mother earth lovelock is a reputable scientist with a hypothesis that it pretty far out proposed as a testable scientific hypothesis. The author of more than 200 scientific papers, he was elected a fellow of the royal society in 1974. In this classic work that continues to inspire its many readers, jim lovelock puts forward his idea that life on earth functions as a single organism. The word ecology is used by western scientists to refer to the branch of biology that examines interactions determining the distribution and abundance of living beings. Gaia a new look at life on earth by j e lovelock, publ. It is an idea which deeply startles us, and in the process, may help us as a species to make the necessary jump to planetary awareness. It is running a fever born of increased atmospheric greenhouse gases. At the time, lovelock was working for nasa, looking at methods of detecting life on. The weak gaia theory is pretty much just saying that the earth and the organisms within it are an interconnected system with feedback loops and therefore capable of selfregulating up to a point. Along with nasa colleague dian hitchcock, lovelock found that the current state of mars atmosphere was in what appeared to be a state of equilibrium. Sep 12, 20 the weak gaia theory is pretty much just saying that the earth and the organisms within it are an interconnected system with feedback loops and therefore capable of selfregulating up to a point.

James lovelock gaia theory college of science and mathematics. Acceptance of the gaia theory has become so widespread that, in 2001, a thousand scientists at the european geophysical union meeting signed the declaration of amsterdam, starting with the statement the earth system behaves as a single, selfregulating system with physical, chemical, biological, and human components. James lovelock english chemist, doctor, and author. Earlier work in connection with the nasa planetary exploration program had suggested that atmospheric compositional evidence could provide prima facie evidence for the existence of life on a planet. While other scientists suggested elaborate tests involving space probes to check for microbes in martian soil, lovelock said to save the rocket fuel, we didnt even need to bother going there. In the 1960s james lovelock considered that the earth was like a living organism, itself engaged in a selfregulation to support its own survival. In the 1960s, nasa set up its planetary exploration program with a mission to determine whether there was life on mars. Gaia theory model and metaphor for the 21st century. The notion that the biosphere exerts important controls on the atmosphere and other parts of the earth system has increasingly gained acceptance among earth and ecosystem scientists. Lovelock s theory that life all clubs together for some sort of mutual advantage is inconceivable. Apr 27, 2008 named after the greek earth goddess, gaia, the theory was developed in the 1960s by scientist dr james lovelock. Go nuclear, save the planet james lovelock, father of the gaia theory, says green opposition to atomic power, as seen in the high court last week, is crazy times on line, 18 february, 2007 we should be scared stiff renowned scientist james lovelock thinks mainland europe will soon be desert and millions of people will start moving north. While this concept has its origins in the work of american oceanographer alfred c.

From gaia theory to deep ecology schumacher college. In contrast to conventional belief that living matter is passive in the face of. Bruno comby, environmentalists for nuclear energy, cc bysa the relevance of our. The idea that life on earth regulates the physical and. Named after the greek earth goddess, gaia, the theory was developed in the 1960s by scientist dr james lovelock. James lovelock explains gaia hypothesis on the sacred balance. The first mention of gaia was a brief paper by lovelock 1972 see also lovelock and margulis 1973 and margulis and lovelock 1974. James ephraim lovelock, ch cbe frs born 26 july 1919 is an independent scientist, environmentalist, and futurist. A new look at life on earth, the revenge of gaia, the vanishing face of gaia, and a rough ride to the future. Gottgensconservation biologyhans papers 2010tilman and downing 1994 nature. The man who achieved global fame for his theory that the whole earth is a single organism now believes that we can only hope that the earth will take care of itself in the face of completely unpredictable. Life is a planetarylevel phenomenon and the earth has been alive for at least 3,000 million years. The world can be seen as a complex interacting system, behaving in some ways, like a single organism.

It postulates that all living things have a regulatory effect on the earth. One of the most unpredicted outcomes of the space program was the gaia hypothesis, the theory the biosphere itself works to regulate the temperature and chemical content of the earths atmosphere. If one it is at all interested in saving gaia, and humanity, it is time to listen to him. Lovelock proposes radical theories that contrast markedly with traditional green thinking as well as forecasting in stark detail what may occur if action is not taken. Gaia theory is a compelling new way of understanding life on our planet. The idea of gaia may facilitate the task of converting destructive human activities to constructive and cooperative behavior. A concept to define the necessary changes to human settlement and dwelling at the global scale, to adapt to global warming. James lovelock will go down in history as the scientist who changed our view of the earth from a barren rock covered with a thin coating of life. Gaia is theorized to be a living entity that is greater than the sum of all the living and nonliving aspects of the earth. James lovelock, in full james ephraim lovelock, born july 26, 1919, letchworth garden city, hertfordshire, england, english chemist, medical doctor, scientific instrument developer, and author best known for the creation and promulgation of the gaia hypothesis, an idea rooted in the notion that all life on earth is part of an entity that regulates earths surficial and atmospheric processes. The gaia hypothesis formulated by james lovelock in the late 1960s presents the notion that our planet is a single selfmanaging organism which regulates the conditions necessary for life. We must learn to cope with it, he instead promotes a new approach called sustainable retreat. Gaia theory the gaia hypothesis is not, as many claim, that the earth is a single organism.

Unit 5 gaia the gaia theory was proposed by british. Welcome to the personal website of james lovelock, originator of gaia theory, inventor of the electron capture detector which made possible the detection of cfcs and other atmospheric nanopollutants and of the microwave oven. A new look at life on earth, 1979 the beginnings of the gaia hypothesis came not from a study of earth, but from the search for alien life. Organisms can greatly affect their environments, and the feedback coupling between. Aug 27, 2010 how james lovelock introduced gaia to an unsuspecting world we have learned so much about our home planet in the three decades since james lovelock wrote gaia.

James claims global warming is now past the tipping points and not avoidable. Lovelock s gaia theory states that, for much of the past 3. The man who achieved global fame for his theory that the whole earth is a single organism now believes that we can only hope that the earth will take care of itself in the face of completely. A new look at life on earth 1979 through to revenge of gaia 2006 and the vanishing face of gaia 2009. We should be the heart and mind of the earth, not its malady. Gaia is the belief that the earth is a selfregulating network of interdependent physical and biological systems. Jan 14, 20 when lovelock introduced it in 1972, gaia was an amusing, fanciful name for a familiar concept. Sir james lovelock, scientist and investigator, on his gloomiest climate change book so far. James lovelock developed the gaia theory in the 1960s while working with nasa.

Pdf james hutton 17261797 regarded earth as a superorganism and. This may seem an odd statement after all that i have said about the way 20th century humans became almost a planetary disease organism. Aug 17, 2000 james lovelock, gaias grand old man the scientist who first theorized that our planet is a biological organism, not merely a rock, discusses life on earth and the possibilities for its future. Jan 21, 2009 james lovelock, the man behind the gaia theory, thinks that climate change will wipe out most of us this century but there may be one way to save ourselves. Cyborgs will replace humans and remake the world, james. James lovelock, who coined the term gaia hypothesis shockingly predicted this merger, or even a takeover or elimination of humanity by robots, two years ago more momentarily. The key insight of gaia theory is that the entire earth functions as a single living superorganism. Will tomorrow bring hordes of militant gaia activists enforcing some pseudoscientific idiocy on the community, crying there is no god but gaia and lovelock. Earth will adjust to these stresses, but the human race faces a severe test. Kirchner department of earth and planetary science, university of california, berkeley, ca 947204767, u. James lovelock called his first proposal the gaia hypothesis but has also used the. A new look at life on earth it revolutionized the perspective of earth as a living being and.

James lovelock, a british scientist and inventor, shortly after his work with nasa in determining that there was probably no life on mars. James lovelock is a worldrenowned scientist and inventor whose work on detecting cfcs chlorofluorocarbons in our environment led him to develop a new theory about our planet. It claims that all of the organic and inorganic components of. Lovelock first began thinking that the planet resembles a living entity in the 1960s, while working for a nasa project on how to detect life on mars. The gaia hypothesis has since been supported by a number of scientific experiments 8 and provided a number of useful predictions, 9 and hence is properly referred to as the gaia theory. Long ago the greeks, thinking this way, gave to the earth the name gaia. Lovelock has developed this idea in a series of books, from gaia. Lovelock explains that the initial formulation was based on observation, but still lacked a scientific explanation. Outlines jim lovelock s original theory that life on earth functions as a single organism, a hypothesis which has generated great debate in scientific circles. James lovelock is the originator of the gaia hypothesis now gaia theory. The gaia hypothesis and earth system science the following is an excerpt from scientists on gaia by stephen schneider and penelope boston mit press. James lovelock, next to a statue of gaia, the greek godess of the earth.

Lovelock 1991 the topdown view of the earth as a single system, one that i call gaia. The gaia hypothesis posits that the earth is alivea self regulating organism in its own right. James lovelocks web site the international homepage. James lovelock, gaia theory, and the rejection of factvalue dualism article pdf available december 2011 with 1,424 reads how we measure reads. James lovelock originator of gaia theory and inventor of. Lovelock states that the initial formulation was based on observation, but still lacked a scientific explanation. Gaia hypothesis village as lovelock at the time bowerchalke, wiltshire, uk. After its publication in james lovelocks book gaia. Trained as a field ecologist, stephan harding collaborates with james lovelock on gaian computer modelling. The ages of gaia a biography of our living earth by james lovelock 255 pages, paperback, w.

His gaia hypothesis, as it has become known, was defined by lovelock according to the following idea. James lovelocks gaia hypothesis archive ouverte hal. In the revenge of gaia, bestselling author james lovelock father of climate studies and originator of the influential gaia theory. James lovelock called his first proposal the gaia hypothesis. Lovelock describes cyborgs as the selfsufficient, selfaware descendants of todays robots and artificial intelligence systems. Oxygen is a reactive compound, and should eventually combine with gases and. Beautiful minds james lovelock the gaia hypothesis. Written for nonscientists, gaia is a journey through time and space in search of evidence with which to support a new and radically different model of our planet.

The gaia theory was developed in the late 1960s by dr. This idea was first made popular by dr james lovelock in the 1960s with his gaia hypothesis. The ages of gaia explains lovelock s theory that the earth is a living organism. Redfield in the mid1950s, it was english scientist and inventor james lovelock that gave. The gaia hypothesis says that the temperature, oxidation state, acidity, and certain aspects of the rocks and waters are kept constant, and that this homeostasis is maintained by active feedback processes operated automatically and unconsciously by the biota. His research led to profound new insights about life on earth. Extending the domain of freedom, or why gaia is so. James lovelock called his first proposal the gaia hypothesis but has also used the term gaia theory. Dr lovelock flatly told the guardian that 80% of human life on earth would perish by 2100. Pdf james lovelock, gaia theory, and the rejection of fact. We have begun to add a new series of scientific papers by prof lovelock coauthors onto the website.

The book describes how the living earth may work, today, and in ages past, based on the latest research of lovelock and others. Basic evolutionary theory disproves this almost completely survival of the fittest what does lynn margulis say makes dawkins views on evolution and the gaia hypothesis compatible. In proposing this theory, james lovelock sought to explain the many complex natural mechanisms that the earth has for regulating things such as climate and biological diversity. Introductory as i write, two viking spacecraft are circling our fellow planet mars, awaiting landfall instructions from the earth.

The gaia hypothesis has since been supported by a number of scientific experiments and provided a number of useful predictions. Conceived by james lovelock, inventor of the gaia theory, this illustrated essay collection brings together an allstar lineup of thinkers and scientists to offer essential understanding about who we are, how we live, and where we might be going. Gaia a new look at life on earth james lovelock oxford landmark science. James lovelock and the gaia hypothesis new scientist. James lovelock, independent scientist, environmentalist, and futurist james lovelock is the originator of the gaia hypothesis now gaia theory. The practical science of planetary medicine lovelock, james. The gaia hypothesis a, also known as the gaia theory or the gaia principle, proposes. A critical analysis in the 1960s, james lovelock, a british atmospheric chemist, was engaged in research commissioned by the national aeronautic and space administration nasa in the united states.

Yet the earth, in the biological sense, has a body sustained by complex physiological processes. The gaia hypothesis some scientists argue that all living things have an equal importance because they all play a part in regulating the planet. The gaia hypothesis, first put forth in the mid1960s, and published in book form in 1975, has had a radical effect on scientific views of evolution and the environment fiercely debated by biologists. While there were a number of precursors to gaia theory, the first scientific form of this idea was proposed as the gaia hypothesis by james lovelock, a u.