Scientists on Gaia

by Stephen H. Schneider (Editor), Penelope J. Boston (Editor)

Overview

The Gaia hypothesis suggests that life is an active participant in shaping the physical and chemical environment on which it depends. Scientists on Gaia is a multidisciplinary exploration of this controversial hypothesis, which was introduced by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the early 1970s. Forty-four contributions detail the philosophical, empirical, and theoretical foundations of Gaia, mechanisms through which planet-wide homeostasis could occur, applicability of the hypothesis to planets other than Earth, possible destabilization by outside forces, and public policy implications.

Stephen H. Schneider, a climatologist, is Senior Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado. Penelope J. Boston, a biologist, is a founder of Complex Systems Research, Lafayette, Colorado.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780262691604
Publisher:	MIT Press
Publication date:	01/29/1993
Series:	The MIT Press
Pages:	460
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 2.58(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Stephen H. Schneider was Melvin and Joan Lane Professor for Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies and Professor of Biology at Stanford University. He was also Coordinating Lead Author of the IPCC's working group on Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability, from 1997 to 2001, and, with his IPCC colleagues, was awarded a joint Nobel Prize in 2007. He was the author or editor of many books, including Science as a Contact Sport: Inside the Battle to Save Earth's Climate and Scientists Debate Gaia: The Next Century (MIT Press, 2004).

Dr. Penelope J. Boston is Director of the Cave and Karst Studies Program at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Studies.

What People are Saying About This

Endorsement

Well-respected proponents and critics of Gaia are represented in this balanced, wide-ranging collection.—Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

From the Publisher

Well-respected proponents and critics of Gaia are represented in this balanced, wide-ranging collection.

—Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

Well-respected proponents and critics of Gaia are represented in this balanced, wide-ranging collection.

Editorial Reviews

Proposed in the 1970s, the Gaia hypothesis is that the Earth is a complex system which regulates itself in part through biological processes. Essays by theory-originators Lovelock and Margulis, and others introduce this collection of essays, adapted from presentations at the 1988 Chapman Conference. The overview is followed by a debate by philosophers of science and then discussion of the scientific foundations of Gaian theory and the particular mechanisms involved. A final section explores public policy implications. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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