www.woodka.com/wp-content/stuff/breath_gaia.jpg
Gaia
Presented by: Tae Griffin, Brett Corbett, and
Brad Goss
Defining Gaia
http://www.greyschool.com/store/upload/New-WebGaia-300.jpg
http://www.harmsy.freeuk.com/images/earth2.jpeg
– The early years
• The Earth was proposed as a livin
organism
– Currently, the Earth is seen as a
community in which thing
coexist and work together
– This holds true for any multicellular organism
• Changes occur in cycles
http://www.lionking.org/imgarchive/Miscellaneous_Images/CircleOfLife2WP.jpg
Global Warming
• As humans put more green house gasses into
the atmosphere the temperature of the Earth
in turn increases
• Believers in Gaia would suggest that the Earth
will eradicate this problem on its own
– Life on Earth will take care of this
excess by absorbing the gasses
http://www.ecoenquirer.com/global-warming-porn.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7e/Mooncrater.jpg/300pxMooncrater.jpg
Young Sun Paradox
• Early in the Sun’s evolution it was far cooler
than it is presently
• Over time as the Sun’s temperature increased,
CO2 levels decreased
– CO2 was absorbed by the rocks and oceans
• Where greater quantities of green house
gasses were present, the Earth was warmer
https://www1108.verioweb.com/astr88/pubs/mercury/35_06/images/hooked.jpg
http://www.kidsgeo.com/images/ear
ths-atmosphere.jpg
Weak Gaia vs. Strong Gaia
• Weak Gaia
– The theory that organisms on Earth alter their
composition to survive
• Evolution
• Strong Gaia
– The theory that the Earth is consciously changing
the atmosphere and organisms to survive
• Far less accepted
http://www.naset.org/uploads/pics/student_disciplin
e.gif
Our Thoughts
•
Weak Gaia is highly
plausible as it holds
many ties to
evolution
• Professor Z terraforming the
moon
http://firstyear.uoregon.edu/FYP_Pages/FYP_Sp
rSeminarsFaculty.html