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The Gaia Hypothesis D. Massimiliano Lorenzini In James Lovelock's article "Rethinking Life on Earth: The Sum: Gaia Takes Flight"1 he sets forth his hypothesis of the Earth being a superorganism which he has named the Gaia Hypothesis. The word Gaia comes from the name of the ancient Greek goddess of the Earth. James Lovelock, a physicist, developed this theory in the late 1960's and early 1970's. In 1973 he and biology professor Lynn Margulis collaborated to define the Gaia Hypothesis. They said, "The notion of the biosphere as an adaptive control system able to maintain the Earth in homoestasis, we are calling the Gaia Hypothesis."2 Mr. Lovelock developed this hypothesis as a result of questions he was asking like, "Could there possibly be an active climate control system on the Earth?...Might climate also be actively regulated in the long term?"3 Gaia, or geophysiology (a term he offered as an alternative), says that life influences the environment and life is influenced by and adapts to the environment. His point behind Gaia is that the Earth will eliminate those organisms that interfere with the environment by changing to a different homeostasis that would be inhospitable to those interfering organisms. The organisms he has in mind are humans. In an article entitled "The Parts: Power to the Protoctists"4 Lynn Margulis refutes the concept of a two kingdom system of life -- plants and animals. She argues that all life on Earth derived from common ancestors, namely bacteria. She says that all life not only derived from bacteria but that bacteria sustains all life today. She goes on to say that all life is equally important because organisms can be looked upon as communities of bacteria. She also questions the uniqueness of human intelligent consciousness. These concepts that Lovelock and Margulis offer seem to suggest that man is behaving like a disease on Earth that Gaia, or the Earth system, must rid itself from as a body's immune system fights a virus. It further suggests that unless man changes to live in harmony with the current homeostasis Gaia will eliminate him by changing to a different homeostasis. This concept gives an important reason to refrain from disrupting the biosphere from a motive of pure self-interest -- our survival. This concept declares that if we wish to survive as a species we must all become environmentalists. Personally, I find the idea of Earth having an active and regulating climate control system hard to grasp. If Gaia is true, it is a highly complex system that is difficult for me to fully comprehend with my limited knowledge of the sciences. I am troubled that New Agers and goddess worshipers find Gaia so appealing. It makes me wonder if the Gaia Hypothesis was developed to create an acceptable world view of the Earth rather than being a purely scientific discovery. I see the implications of the Gaia Hypothesis leading to greater acceptability of animism and monism which I, as a Christian, reject as dangerous false doctrines. I would prefer that the Gaia Hypothesis would have become known as geophysiology rather than Gaia, the Greek goddess of the Earth. 1 Lovelock, James (September/October 1992) Rethinking Life on Earth: The Sum: Gaia Takes Flight. James Lovelock. Earthwatch. 2 ibid. 3 ibid. 4 Margulis, Lynn (September/Ocotober 1992) Rethinking Life on Earth: Power to the Protoctists. Earthwatch.

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