Gaia theory

From Environmental Technology

Gaia hypothesis is a class of scientific models of the geo-biosphere in which life as a whole fosters and maintains suitable conditions for itself by helping to create an environment on Earth suitable for its continuity. The first such theory was created by the atmospheric scientist and chemist, Sir James Lovelock, who developed his hypotheses in the 1960s before formally publishing the concept, first in the New Scientist (February 13, 1975) and then in the 1979 book "Gaia: A new look at life on Earth". He hypothesized that the living matter of the planet functioned like a single organism and named this self-regulating living system after the Greek goddess, Gaia, using a suggestion of novelist William Golding.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_theory_(science) http://www.gaianet.fsbusiness.co.uk/gaiatheory.html http://www.oceansonline.com/gaiaho.htm