Gaia: A New Look at Life on EarthOxford University Press, 1987 - 157 The Gaia hypothesis, first put forth in the mid-1960s, and published in book form in 1975, has had a radical effect on scientific views of evolution and the environment. Fiercely debated by biologists, chemists, and cyberneticists, it has been the subject of numerous conferences and a BBC special which aired on public TV's "Nova" series. Green Peace and other environmental groups have embraced the theory, and Isaac Asimov incorporated it into two his science fiction novels. Now, James Lovelock provides a new preface to his his seminal work, confronting his critics, and, addressing the current advances in science and technology, demonstrates how his predictions have already begun to be fulfilled. According to the Gaia hypothesis, the environment does not coincidentally support life on earth; rather the two interact much the way a bird and its nest interact. "The Earth's living matter," writes Lovelock, "air, oceans, and land surface form a complex system which can be seen as a single organism and which has the capacity to keep our planet a fit place for life." This revolutionary book offers the clearest explanation of the interaction of life and the environment. |
Z wnętrza książki
Wyniki 1 - 3 z 65
Strona 6
... atmosphere of a life - bearing planet would thus become recognizably different from that of a dead planet . Mars has no oceans . If life had established itself there , it would have had to make use of the atmosphere or stagnate . Mars ...
... atmosphere of a life - bearing planet would thus become recognizably different from that of a dead planet . Mars has no oceans . If life had established itself there , it would have had to make use of the atmosphere or stagnate . Mars ...
Strona 7
... atmospheric gases , espe- cially to the ensemble of reactive gases constituting the atmo- sphere as a whole . The presence of nitrous oxide and of ammonia is as anomalous as that of methane in our oxidizing atmosphere . Even nitrogen in ...
... atmospheric gases , espe- cially to the ensemble of reactive gases constituting the atmo- sphere as a whole . The presence of nitrous oxide and of ammonia is as anomalous as that of methane in our oxidizing atmosphere . Even nitrogen in ...
Strona 67
... atmosphere , the troposphere , has been least measured and understood , yet it is certainly the part most relevant ... atmosphere of the sun . It used to be assumed that the escape of hydrogen atoms from the exosphere gave Earth its ...
... atmosphere , the troposphere , has been least measured and understood , yet it is certainly the part most relevant ... atmosphere of the sun . It used to be assumed that the escape of hydrogen atoms from the exosphere gave Earth its ...
Spis treści
Introductory | 1 |
In the beginning | 13 |
The recognition of Gaia | 33 |
Prawa autorskie | |
Nie pokazano 8 innych sekcji
Inne wydania - Wyświetl wszystko
Kluczowe wyrazy i wyrażenia
abundance acid activity aeons ago algae ammonia anaerobic animals atmo atmosphere atoms biological biosphere CALIFORNIA capacity carbon dioxide cell cent chapter chemical chemical equilibrium chemistry complex compounds concentration continental shelves control system creatures cybernetic systems cycle dimethyl sulphide Earth Earth's surface ecology ecosystems effect electric elements energy entropy environment environmental equilibrium ERSITY example fire fossil fuel Gaia hypothesis Gaia's Gaian gases global half aeons heat human hydrogen increase industrial inorganic iodine ions land LIBRARY lifeless Lynn Margulis Mars methane methyl chloride methyl iodide micro-organisms million molecules natural nitrate nitrogen nitrous oxide nuclear numbers oceans optimum organisms oven oxygen ozone layer photosynthesis planet planetary poisonous pollution possible potential present problem production quantities regions regulation rocks salinity salt SAN DIEGO scientific scientists silica sodium sodium chloride space species stratosphere substances sulphur temperature tion tropical ultra-violet UNIVERSITY water vapour