The Ages of Gaia: A Biography of Our Living EarthLovelock first sketched out his theory in his bestseller, Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth. People all over the world embraced the theory, and in less than ten years it moved from the margins of scientific research to the mainstream. Lovelock argues that such things as the level of oxygen, the formation of clouds, and the saltiness of the oceans may all be controlled by biological processes. He believes that "living organisms create the optimum conditions for their own existence, and in so doing create the superorganism Gaia." The New York Times Book Review has called his arguments in favor of Gaia "plausible and above all illuminating." |
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abundance acid albedo algae animals anoxic Archean atmo atmosphere atoms bacteria biologists biology biota Bowerchalke calcium carbon dioxide cells CFCs chapter chemical chemistry climate clouds cool cyanobacteria daisies Daisyworld deposition dimethyl sulfide Earth ecology ecopoiesis ecosystems effect elements emissions energy entropy environment environmental eons ago evolution evolved exist forests free oxygen freezing Gaia hypothesis Gaia theory Gaian gases geophysiological glaciation global greenhouse heat homeostasis human hydrogen increase ions land layer living organisms Lynn Margulis Mars Martian ment methane methanogens million molecules natural nitrogen nuclear numbers nutrients ocean oxide oxygen ozone percent perturbation photosynthesizers physical planet planetary planetesimals population positive feedback present Proterozoic radiation rain regions regulation rocks salt scientific scientists self-regulating solar species star stratosphere sulfur sunlight superorganism surface temperature theoretical ecology things tion toxic trees ultraviolet Universe uranium warm water vapor