The
Gaia Theory posits that the organic and inorganic components of Planet Earth
have evolved together as a single living, self-regulating system. It
suggests that this living system has automatically controlled global
temperature, atmospheric content, ocean salinity, and other factors, that
maintains its own habitability. In a phrase, “life maintains conditions
suitable for its own survival.” In this respect, the living system of Earth
can be thought of analogous to the workings of any individual organism that
regulates body temperature, blood salinity, etc. So, for instance, even
though the luminosity of the sun – the Earth’s heat source – has increased
by about 30 percent since life began almost four billion years ago, the
living system has reacted as a whole to maintain temperatures at levels
suitable for life.
The
Gaia theory was developed in the late 1960’s by Dr. James Lovelock, a
British Scientist and inventor, shortly after his work with NASA in
determining that there was probably no life on Mars. His research led to
profound new insights about life on Earth. The theory gained an early
supporter in Lynn Margulis, a microbiologist at the University of
Massachusetts. In the past 15-20 years, many of the mechanisms by which
Earth self-regulates have been identified. As one example, it has been shown
that cloud formation over the open ocean is almost entirely a function of
the metabolism of oceanic algae that emit a large sulfur molecule (as a
waste gas) that becomes the condensation nuclei for raindrops. Previously,
it was thought that cloud formation over the ocean was a purely
chemical/physical phenomenon. The cloud formation not only helps regulate
Earth’s temperature, it is an important mechanism by which sulfur is
returned to terrestrial ecosystems.
The
Gaia Theory has inspired many leading figures of the past 20 years,
including Vaclav Havel, John Todd (inventor), Freeman Dyson (physicist), Al
Gore, Joseph Campbell (mythology expert), and Elisabet Sahtouris
(microbiologist). These and many other people have written and spoken
eloquently about how the Gaia Theory can help us model human activities
after the living systems of our planet; the concept offers lessons for the
design of economic, energy, social and governmental systems.
The
Gaia Theory posits that the organic and inorganic components of Planet Earth
have evolved together as a single living, self-regulating system. It
suggests that this living system has automatically controlled global
temperature, atmospheric content, ocean salinity, and other factors, that
maintains its own habitability. In a phrase, “life maintains conditions
suitable for its own survival.” In this respect, the living system of Earth
can be thought of analogous to the workings of any individual organism that
regulates body temperature, blood salinity, etc. So, for instance, even
though the luminosity of the sun – the Earth’s heat source – has increased
by about 30 percent since life began almost four billion years ago, the
living system has reacted as a whole to maintain temperatures at levels
suitable for life. 
The
Gaia theory was developed in the late 1960’s by Dr. James Lovelock, a
British Scientist and inventor, shortly after his work with NASA in
determining that there was probably no life on Mars. His research led to
profound new insights about life on Earth. The theory gained an early
supporter in Lynn Margulis, a microbiologist at the University of
Massachusetts. In the past 15-20 years, many of the mechanisms by which
Earth self-regulates have been identified. As one example, it has been shown
that cloud formation over the open ocean is almost entirely a function of
the metabolism of oceanic algae that emit a large sulfur molecule (as a
waste gas) that becomes the condensation nuclei for raindrops. Previously,
it was thought that cloud formation over the ocean was a purely
chemical/physical phenomenon. The cloud formation not only helps regulate
Earth’s temperature, it is an important mechanism by which sulfur is
returned to terrestrial ecosystems. 
The
Gaia Theory has inspired many leading figures of the past 20 years,
including Vaclav Havel, John Todd (inventor), Freeman Dyson (physicist), Al
Gore, Joseph Campbell (mythology expert), and Elisabet Sahtouris
(microbiologist). These and many other people have written and spoken
eloquently about how the Gaia Theory can help us model human activities
after the living systems of our planet; the concept offers lessons for the
design of economic, energy, social and governmental systems.