Lovelock seems able to speak clearly without really knowing whether it makes sense or even worth, is providing support to the opposite of what. How james lovelock introduced gaia to an unsuspecting world. A new look at life on earth kindle edition by lovelock, james. Gaia is the name of the greek goddess of the earth or mother earth, as she is also called. Mar 27, 20 james lovelock born 1919 is an independent scientist from devon who, after developing his famous gaia hypothesis, gained a notorious status in the scientific community. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading gaia. The gaia theory was developed in the late 1960s by dr. 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.
Lovelocks gaia theory states that, for much of the past 3. The gaia hypothesis has since been supported by a number of scientific experiments20 and provided a number of useful. Reply to askanearthscientist soest school of ocean and. Their mission is to search for life, or evidence of life, now or long ago. Lovelock and colleagues tested this ancillary hypothesis on a scientific. That book inspired me like non other and i have been working at the kennedy space center for the past 27 years. James lovelock called his first proposal the gaia hypothesis. When lovelock introduced it in 1972, gaia was an amusing, fanciful name for a familiar concept. James lovelock backs down on climate alarm anthony watts april 23, 2012 msnbc reports that the lack of temperature rise in the last 12 years has convinced environmentalist james lovelock the gaia hypothesis that the climate alarmism wasnt warranted.
According to gaia theory, life is a planetarywide phenomenon that alters the environment on a planetary scale. 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. Outlines jim lovelocks original theory that life on earth functions as a single organism, a hypothesis which has generated great debate in scientific circles. This book reminds me of a childrens book i had my mother read over and over to me when i was four years old, you will go to the moon, by mae and ira freeman. Newsbytes global warming downgraded, james lovelock recants. Newsbytes global warming downgraded, james lovelock recants anthony watts january 26, 20 a doubly whammy this week as gaia author lovelock rails against windfarms and environmentalists, and climate sensitivity has been scaled back. And the theory of the living planet paperback april 30, 2005. 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 gaia theory of james lovelock and lynn margulis. Lovelocks gaia theory right or wrong, really has some credibility and is at least interesting.
From gaia theory to deep ecology by stephan harding, resident ecologist at schumacher college, an international centre for ecological studies. Some editions of the book have a different, less optimistic subtitle. James lovelock, environmental guru and creator of gaia theory, has a new book out. I pointed out that the singular term, the gaia hypothesis, was being. The idea that life on earth regulates the physical and chemical conditions of the environment suitable for life. It seems possible to simplify and strengthen the gaia theory if we take the strong form of the anthropic principle seriously, which asserts that the universe must be compatible with conscious life, which means that it is most likely that the universe is a living place that contains a spectrum of consciousness.
Gottgens conservation biologyhans papers 2010tilman and downing 1994 nature. The world can be seen as a complex interacting system, behaving in some ways. 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. The problem is we dont know what the climate is doing, he told we thought we knew 20 years ago. Why the earth is fighting back and how we can still save humanity 2006 is a book by james lovelock. A new look at life on earth, oxford university press, 1979. Gottgensconservation biologyhans papers 2010tilman and downing 1994 nature. Gaia a new look at life on earth by j e lovelock, publ. In the 1970s, the chemist james lovelock proposed the gaia theory or gaia hypothesis, named after the greek earth goddess, gaia. Their mission is to search for life, or evidence of life, now or.
The gaia theory college of science and mathematics. James lovelock index page by environmentalists for nuclear energy. The scientific backgrounds and areas of expertise of james lovelock and lynn margulis turned out to be a perfect match. Biogeochemists have devoted decades of painstaking work to tracing the details of these interactions. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
How james lovelock introduced gaia to an unsuspecting. Pdf in this paper the relationship between gaia theory and factvalue dualism must be understood from two angles. I pointed out that the singular term, the gaia hypothesis, was being applied to many different propositions, ranging from. 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. Long ago the greeks, thinking this way, gave to the earth the name gaia or, for short, ge. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. 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. 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. Jan 26, 20 newsbytes global warming downgraded, james lovelock recants anthony watts january 26, 20 a doubly whammy this week as gaia author lovelock rails against windfarms and environmentalists, and climate sensitivity has been scaled back.
Earths climate crisis and the fate of humanity basic books, new york, 2006, 177 pp, isbn. For the love of gaia gaia in ancient greek history. Gaia contains elements of fact, theory, and wishful thinking. 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. Newsbytes global warming downgraded, james lovelock. The gaia hypothesis proposed that life on earth is a selfregulating system involving the biosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the pedosphere skin of soil and living organisms, all of which are intimately integrated as an evolving complex system.
His research led to profound new insights about life on earth. Pdf james lovelock, gaia theory, and the rejection of fact. Gaia a new look at life on earth james lovelock oxford landmark science. James lovelocks gaia hypothesis revolutionises how we. Gaia theory some early objections strong gaia the version put forward by lovelock and margulis is strong in that it depicts terrestrial life as influencing the abiotic world by a series of negative feedback loops in a way that is fundamentally stabilizing. We have begun to add a new series of scientific papers by prof lovelock coauthors onto the website. Fact, theory, and wishful thinking 393 clarify and focus the gaia debate, which seemed to be at risk of becoming a shouting match between disciples and detractors. James ephraim lovelock, is an independent scientist, environmentalist and futurist who lives in dorset, england.
Gaia hypothesis was used to make predictions for example, that marine organisms would make volatile compounds that can transfer essential elements from the ocean back to the land. 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. 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. Trained as a field ecologist, stephan harding collaborates with james lovelock on gaian computer modelling. 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. I find nick lanes arguments much more convincing, and i am sure lovelock should have been aware of this work. The evolving gaia theory james lovelock paper presented at the united nations university on 25 september 1992 tokyo, japan dr. James lovelock called his first proposal the gaia hypothesis but has also used the term gaia theory. Espanol gaia salvemos nuestra vida marina gaias dance a vision of wholeness gaia thoughts is gaia here. Lovelock, coombe mill experimental station, st giles on the heath, launceston, cornwall, england pl15 9ry.
Understand the anthropocene with this illustrated book of earth and human science from james lovelock, featuring ai, neuroscience, climate, and more skip to content. Why did the public love james lovelocks gaia theory so much while scientists hated it. Gaia theory scientist james lovelock admits he was alarmist about the impact of climate change he said. As he writes, through gaia theory i now see the system of the material earth and the living organisms on it, evolving so that selfregulation is an emergent property. James lovelock is not part of a university, research institute, or business firm. Pdf james lovelock, gaia theory, and the rejection of. But, as james broughton said, the only limits are, as always, those of vision. Consider it an illustrated guide to how the world works. Margulis had no problem answering lovelocks many questions about the biological origins of atmospheric gases, while lovelock contributed concepts from chemistry, thermodynamics, and cybernetics to the emerging gaia theory. One part of gaia that is clearly fact is the recognition that earths organisms have a signi. The word ecology is used by western scientists to refer to the branch of biology that. James lovelock, who developed his ideas about life regulating the earths environment in the 1960s earth is a perfect planet for life but, according to gaia theory, this is no coincidence.
Extending the domain of freedom, or why gaia is so. James lovelocks gaia hypothesis has challenged conventional thinking about the nature of the earth as an integrated system. James lovelock, gaia theory, and the rejection of factvalue dualism article pdf available december 2011 with 1,234 reads how we measure reads. Pdf after a career as a chemist and engineer, james lovelock proposed the gaia hypothesis in the 1970s with lynn margulis, a biologist. 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. In those years, james lovelock was appointed by nasa to investigate the chemical composition and physical characteristics of the atmosphere. James lovelock, a british scientist and inventor, shortly after his work with nasa in determining that there was probably no life on mars. For more than a century students of the evolution of the living and nonliving parts of the earth have known that life influences the physical and chemical characteristic of the planet.
That led to some alarmist books mine included because it looked clear cut, but it hasnt happened. It has been received skeptically by mainstream science to this day and is only considered a hypothesis by most. In the 1970s, the chemist james lovelock proposed the gaia hypothesis, named after the greek earth goddess, gaia. Global warming inventor james lovelock, i was wrong.
Lynn margulis, department of biology, boston university, 2. James lovelock and the gaia hypothesis new scientist. The author also pointed out problems in the experiments done by lovelock and his students to prove lovelock s claim that at no point in the history of the earth was the oxygen level in the atmosphere higher than 25%. 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 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.
A succinct overview of james lovelocks gaia hypothesis. Gaia hypothesis village as lovelock at the time bowerchalke, wiltshire, uk. James lovelock 1979 gaia a new look at life on earth. 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. 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.
Lovelock and colleagues tested this ancillary hypothesis on a scientific cruise between england and antarctica. Lovelock explains that the initial formulation was based on observation, but still lacked a scientific explanation. The idea that life on earth regulates the physical and. Beautiful minds james lovelock the gaia hypothesis gaia. 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. We are the intelligent elite among animal life on earth and whatever our mistakes, earth needs us. 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.
James lovelock born 1919 is an independent scientist from devon who, after developing his famous gaia hypothesis, gained a notorious status in the scientific community. The theory you asked about is known as the gaia hypothesis. Introduction to the gaia hypothesis james lovelock and the gaia hypothesis main file. The theory gained an early supporter in lynn margulis. The feasibility of a testable gaia hypothesis pdf file.
Beautiful minds james lovelock the gaia hypothesis. James lovelock in 1965 whilst he was working for nasa researching methods to detect life on other planets, specifically on mars. Kyoto2 is a framework for an effective second kyoto protocol designed to constrain human emissions of greenhouse gases within a fixed cap and raise funds for mitigation, adaptation and economic transformation away from fossil fuel dependence. That led to some alarmist books mine included because it looked clear cut, but. Gaia as seen through the atmosphere james lovelock. Gaia hypothesis i would like to know the name of the theory which states that the earth is a living organism much like us human beings. The gaia hypothesis has since been supported by a number of scientific experiments and provided a number of useful predictions. My basic thesis is that lovelock is right when rejecting. We feel that we belong here as if this planet were indeed our home. The gaia hypothesis and earth system science the following is an excerpt from scientists on gaia by stephen schneider and penelope boston mit press. The gaia hypothesis a, also known as the gaia theory or the gaia principle, proposes. As i write, two viking spacecraft are circling our fellow planet mars, awaiting landfall instructions from the earth. James lovelocks gaia hypothesis revolutionises how we view. Sir james lovelock, scientist and investigator, on his gloomiest climate change book so far.
Global warming inventor james lovelock, i was wrong the. James lovelock gaia theory college of science and mathematics. The gaia hypothesis by michael ruse gets to the heart of the. Will tomorrow bring hordes of militant gaia activists enforcing some pseudoscientific idiocy on the community, crying there is no god but gaia and lovelock. Apr 27, 2008 james lovelock, who developed his ideas about life regulating the earths environment in the 1960s earth is a perfect planet for life but, according to gaia theory, this is no coincidence. 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. 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 experiments20 and provided a number of useful predictions,21 and hence is properly referred to as the gaia theory.
The book introduces the concept of the anticlaw hypothesis. He is best known for proposing the gaia hypothesis, which he discusses in this. May 21, 2014 james ephraim lovelock, is an independent scientist, environmentalist and futurist who lives in dorset, england. This may seem an odd statement after all that i have said about the way 20th century humans became almost a planetary disease organism. The gaia theory posits that the earth is a selfregulating complex system.
472 921 1148 644 211 1406 746 112 575 682 143 802 1048 243 789 25 802 1100 1300 743 649 1292 6 516 1449 323 1173 663 1012 778 2 95 415 295 1121 919 644 1328 771