Discusses the hypothesis that the Earth's microbes, plants, and animals have coevolved with their environment into one superorganism, and discusses the effect this idea has had on the scientific community
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly:
The Gaia hypothesis, which holds that planet Earth is a living, self-adjusting organism, continues to breed controversy. Is it a viable theory or a poetic metaphor? In this brisk journalistic report, science writer Joseph takes a critical yet sympathetic look at the scientific investigations underlying Gaian thought. "The case against Gaia remains stronger by far than the case for Gaia," he concludes. Even so, he finds that the Gaian perspective--neither human- nor deity-centered--offers "a secular alternative to the doctrine of humanism." The twists and turns of Gaian politics are deftly unraveled. British chemist James Lovelock, co-inventor of the Gaia theory, discovered that aerosol chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) accumulate in the Earth's atmosphere. Yet, for two decades, he scorned environmentalists' and scientists' warnings linking CFCs to depletion of the ozone layer, blinded by Gaia's supposed capacity to adjust to almost any situation. Joseph explores how the Gaian outlook has influenced feminism, goddess art, neopaganism and Green party ecopolitics.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherSt Martins Pr
- Publication date1991
- ISBN 10 0312058667
- ISBN 13 9780312058661
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages276
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Rating