Gaia in Action: Science of the Living Earth

James Lovelock's Gaia theory, which views the Earth as a living organism, is widely seen as a vital change in our scientific and cultural outlook on the planet we inhabit. As the developed - and developing - worlds grapple with problems of sustainability on a planetary scale, the implications of Gaia theory are both urgent and critically important.
In scientific terms, Gaia theory suggests rich areas of research, as well as throwing new light on conventional attitudes in biology, climatology and geophysiology. Our human activities, too, so often marked by a careless sense of detachment, come under close scrutiny both socially and culturally.
This fascinating and challenging collection of papers is based on a series of international conferences on Gaia. Leading scientists and authors seek to define exactly what is meant by Gaia in their own disciplines, and to translate these insights into practical ways of relating to the planet as a whole.

Peter Bunyard studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge and Harvard, and is adjunct faculty on the University of Boston Study Abroad Programme. A founding editor of The Ecologist magazine, he is a Fellow of the Linnean Society. He regularly lectures in South America on the climatic importance of the Amazonian rainforest. He is author of The Breakdown of Climate and Extreme Weather (both Floris Books).