This website, set up for the October 2006 conference: “The Gaia Theory: Model and Metaphor for the 21st Century” provides information and announcements about the Gaia Theory. (see below for a description of conference)
A Summer, 2008 Gaia Theory course (USDA Graduate School in Arlington, VA) Click Here for details!
DVD's of conference plenary sessions are now available! To receive a set, please send $6 to Potomac Overlook Regional Park, 2845 N. Marcey Road, Arlington, VA 22207. Make checks payable to "NVRPA".
Bill McKibben discusses Lovelock’s “The Revenge of Gaia” in his Essay “How Close to Catastrophe?” Click Here |
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Martin
Ogle
American
Solar Energy Society |
Overall, the Gaia Theory is a compelling new way of understanding life on our planet. It argues that we are far more than just the "Third Rock from the Sun," situated precariously between freezing and burning up. 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 Earth’s surface. Some scientists believe that this “Gaian system” self-regulates global temperature, atmospheric content, ocean salinity, and other factors in an “automatic” manner. Earth's living system appears to keep conditions on our planet just right for life to persist! The Gaia Theory has already inspired ideas and practical applications for economic systems, policy, scientific inquiry, and other valuable work. The future holds more of the same. See Understanding Gaia Theory for more information.
Nothing less than a public conference about
Earth science and our relationship to our planet. The following
summarizes the conference goals and Conference
Speakers
Conference Summary and
Follow-up Points
Please check back periodically for information on upcoming Gaia Theory programs and events! ‘Unlocking the Secrets of Our Living Planet’ at Potomac Overlook A half-mile trek offering a fascinating take on local ecology! Join us for “Unlocking the Secrets of our Living Planet,” a guided, ½ mile walk at Potomac Overlook. North Arlington comes alive with entertaining, hands-on activities, tidbits of local history, and a puzzle that participants solve as they go. Eat a fresh vegetable, operate a solar electric panel, handle 2000-year-old Indian artifacts, wax philosophical, and come away with an understanding of how these are all seamless parts of the story of our living planet. This program is suitable for adults and youth age 8 and older and will be presented at 2 p.m. on alternating Saturdays and Sundays in April – mid-June and September – early November. Dates this spring include: Sunday, April 6; Saturday, April 12; Sunday, April 20; Saturday, April 26; Sunday, May 4 (Part of our annual Open House); and Saturday, May 10. For future dates and reservations, call 703-528-5406 or e-mailing Potomac@nvrpa.org. Cost: $3.00 per person. Potomac Overlook Regional Park is located at the end of Marcey Road, off of Military Road, in north Arlington, Virginia. Join us for “Canoe the Marsh!” – Half-day Guided Canoe Trips Imagine skimming along the smooth waters of an uncommonly beautiful wetland. A kingfisher chatters as it whizzes by you, a Bald Eagle turns a broad circle overhead and a deer gazes at you from the shore. A breeze covers the water with silky ripples. Where are you? On a guided canoe trip on the marshes of Pohick Bay Regional Park, just 20 miles south of Washington, D.C. (6501 Pohick Bay Dr., Lorton, VA 22079). The naturalist-led “Canoe the Marsh” outing at Pohick Bay Regional Park, a 35 year tradition in Northern Virginia, is back! Participants will receive the expert guidance of naturalists from the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority while they enjoy the beauty and biodiversity of the marshes of Pohick Bay. These trips are for adults and youth age 16 and older and the cost is $25/person. Space is limited to 12 people per trip. The first trips will be held at 8 a.m. on the following dates: April 19 (Saturday); April 27 (Sunday); May 3 (Saturday); May 11 (Sunday); and May 25 (Sunday). Call 703-528-5406 for reservations (required) or more information, including dates of trips later in the year. Gaia Theory CoursePart of U.S.D.A. Graduate School’s Natural History ProgramCourse number NATH 2300E - 1 credit. This course will examine the historic development of the Gaia Theory; the science and mechanisms by which the living system of Earth operates. The role of and opportunities for human beings, especially in the areas of agriculture and energy, will also be discussed. There will be two field trips, one a canoe trip at Pohick Bay Regional Park.Class night and time: Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Location: Potomac Overlook Nature Center, Arlington, VA. Class meetings: June 24 – July 22, 2008 Field Trip Dates: Sunday, June 29 (1-4 p.m.) and Saturday, July 19, 8:30 a.m. – Noon Tuition: $245 Instructor: Martin Ogle, Chief Naturalist, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority To Register Online:http://www.grad.usda.gov/course_details.php?cid=NATH2300EE
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Pick
up a newspaper or listen to the news and you'll quickly see that our
understanding of the Earth and our relationship to it has never mattered
more. The Gaia Theory offers insights into climate change, energy, health,
agriculture, and other issues of great, if not urgent, importance.