38
that the comprehensive work was not accepted as
a scientific product will be discussed later.
Already the term Gaia (Mother Earth) is somewhat mystified that made many people rejective
from the beginning. Let us see the methods and
results of Lovelock in studying the operation of
biosphere.
Since initially he was thinking in a black box
model, he studied the output of the operation of
biosphere into the environment, primarily the
atmosphere. (Originally Lovelock was commissioned by NASA to search for the potential traces
of life on Mars. He stated that on Mars—in contrast to Earth—non reactive gases form a stable
atmosphere. He concluded that there is no life on
Mars today, however, he did not exclude the possibility of life on Mars in the past. If that was the
case the composition of the atmosphere had to be
different then.) According to his opinion, the atmosphere of Earth shows chemical contradictions: too
much oxygen and methane. These gases mixing
and reacting with each other should not exist in
such a great concentration, except if something
continuously produces them. Similar anomalies
were observed by him in the case of other gases as
well. Hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen should react
with each other as well and thus they should show
smaller concentrations than those measured.
Lovelock considered the above chemical
anomalies the signs of the life functions of biosphere (Gaia). Thus he had to focus on the relationship of living systems and groups of living
beings (elements of the global living system) and
the gases produced by them. He realised the significance of microbiology in research and the
role of bacteria in the impact of biosphere on
environmental elements. Atmospheric methane
should practically disappear from the air due to
its reaction potential with oxygen. In contrast, it
is always present in Earth’s atmosphere in measurable quantity, furthermore, its concentration
increased in the last century. The primary emission sources include methanogenic bacteria living in swamps, in the stomach of cattle and
termites also produce significant amount of
methane. Consequently, living beings maintain
the chemical anomalies of the atmosphere.
Humans also contribute to this with the gas
industry, rice fields (again bacteria produce methane here), coal mining and burning biomass.
Even oxygen itself is the product of life: photosynthesis working for at least three billion
years (initially as the life functions of cyanobacteria) was able to produce a rate of almost 21% of
atmospheric O 2 turning a reductive atmosphere to
an oxidative one while oxidising the minerals of
the crust as well.
Lovelock came to the conclusion that the biosphere actively regulates its own environment
making it in many cases gradually more suitable
for its own development. For example, the produced vast amount of oxygen made the evolution
of respiration possible that contributed to—being
a more effective form of making energy—the
evolution of higher form of life. Increasing oxygen concentrations also provided the conditions
for the development of an ozone shield making
the environment safe enough for life to advance
to and occupy the continents.
Figure 2.6 shows the hierarchy of the biosphere, however, only from one aspect and in a
simplified form. Living beings and living systems
created by them form a complex network in reality
with continuous material and energy flow in them.
Lovelock considered when studying the operation
of the biosphere that a living organism can only
survive if it releases heat continuously (loosing
energy) based on the second law of thermodynamics. For this, however, nutrients have to be taken
into the organism (material and energy content of
nutrients are required) and thus the organism produces waste material (releasing metabolism products into its environment). This waste still has
some energy content therefore it provides food for
other living beings. Gaia recycles material at
global level no “real waste” (useless material,
material that cannot be utilised) is produced.
Lovelock describes numerous examples of
biosphere controlling environmental conditions,
atmospheric composition and global mean temperature on Earth applying negative feedbacks.
This planetary controlling system is the most
fundamental ability of biosphere. According to
him, the Earth is a cybernetic system with homeostatic tendencies that can be traced in the chemical anomalies of the atmosphere of the planet.
2 Structure and Operation of Systems, Models of the Global Earth System
that the comprehensive work was not accepted as
a scientific product will be discussed later.
Already the term Gaia (Mother Earth) is somewhat mystified that made many people rejective
from the beginning. Let us see the methods and
results of Lovelock in studying the operation of
biosphere.
Since initially he was thinking in a black box
model, he studied the output of the operation of
biosphere into the environment, primarily the
atmosphere. (Originally Lovelock was commissioned by NASA to search for the potential traces
of life on Mars. He stated that on Mars—in contrast to Earth—non reactive gases form a stable
atmosphere. He concluded that there is no life on
Mars today, however, he did not exclude the possibility of life on Mars in the past. If that was the
case the composition of the atmosphere had to be
different then.) According to his opinion, the atmosphere of Earth shows chemical contradictions: too
much oxygen and methane. These gases mixing
and reacting with each other should not exist in
such a great concentration, except if something
continuously produces them. Similar anomalies
were observed by him in the case of other gases as
well. Hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen should react
with each other as well and thus they should show
smaller concentrations than those measured.
Lovelock considered the above chemical
anomalies the signs of the life functions of biosphere (Gaia). Thus he had to focus on the relationship of living systems and groups of living
beings (elements of the global living system) and
the gases produced by them. He realised the significance of microbiology in research and the
role of bacteria in the impact of biosphere on
environmental elements. Atmospheric methane
should practically disappear from the air due to
its reaction potential with oxygen. In contrast, it
is always present in Earth’s atmosphere in measurable quantity, furthermore, its concentration
increased in the last century. The primary emission sources include methanogenic bacteria living in swamps, in the stomach of cattle and
termites also produce significant amount of
methane. Consequently, living beings maintain
the chemical anomalies of the atmosphere.
Humans also contribute to this with the gas
industry, rice fields (again bacteria produce methane here), coal mining and burning biomass.
Even oxygen itself is the product of life: photosynthesis working for at least three billion
years (initially as the life functions of cyanobacteria) was able to produce a rate of almost 21% of
atmospheric O 2 turning a reductive atmosphere to
an oxidative one while oxidising the minerals of
the crust as well.
Lovelock came to the conclusion that the biosphere actively regulates its own environment
making it in many cases gradually more suitable
for its own development. For example, the produced vast amount of oxygen made the evolution
of respiration possible that contributed to—being
a more effective form of making energy—the
evolution of higher form of life. Increasing oxygen concentrations also provided the conditions
for the development of an ozone shield making
the environment safe enough for life to advance
to and occupy the continents.
Figure 2.6 shows the hierarchy of the biosphere, however, only from one aspect and in a
simplified form. Living beings and living systems
created by them form a complex network in reality
with continuous material and energy flow in them.
Lovelock considered when studying the operation
of the biosphere that a living organism can only
survive if it releases heat continuously (loosing
energy) based on the second law of thermodynamics. For this, however, nutrients have to be taken
into the organism (material and energy content of
nutrients are required) and thus the organism produces waste material (releasing metabolism products into its environment). This waste still has
some energy content therefore it provides food for
other living beings. Gaia recycles material at
global level no “real waste” (useless material,
material that cannot be utilised) is produced.
Lovelock describes numerous examples of
biosphere controlling environmental conditions,
atmospheric composition and global mean temperature on Earth applying negative feedbacks.
This planetary controlling system is the most
fundamental ability of biosphere. According to
him, the Earth is a cybernetic system with homeostatic tendencies that can be traced in the chemical anomalies of the atmosphere of the planet.
2 Structure and Operation of Systems, Models of the Global Earth System