Pilgrimage in gaia theory

" Why biodiversity?" is a legitimate question for all of us. Why should we be concerned that wildlife species are getting extinct at a rate 2500 times the rate nature normally takes? Why should we be concerned that 20% of the tropical forests, which are among the most biodiverse environments of this world have been destroyed? After all, doesn't Darwin's theory of evolution suggest the survival of the fittest? Is protection of biodiversity a mere act of environmentalists, conservationists, bird watchers and other exotic professionals who feel that nature has an aesthetic value? Is there really a compelling logic for biodiversity?

Gaia theory provides a compelling logic for biodiversity. This theory was first propounded by James Lovelock in 1965. This theory combines knowledge base from different schools of thought like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geology and Astronomy. What this theory states is :

" The life and non-life forms on earth interact closely. In this process, the conditions on earth are made conducive for life by life."

James Lovelock propounded this theory when he was doing his research in NASA. The question that NASA was grappling then was whether there was life on Mars. What Lovelock suggested is that the atmosphere of Mars was dry and the chemical composition of the atmosphere of Mars was dominated by carbon dioxide and thus was in an equilibrium purely based on Physics and Chemistry. However, in the case of earth, the chemical composition of the atmosphere, the temperature and moisture was in a perpetual state of disequilibrium, purely based on Physics and Chemistry. The atmospheric conditions on earth were profoundly influenced by life. Therefore, he concluded that there was no life on Mars. However, NASA was more interested in sending a probe to Mars than to answer the question of whether life existed in Mars and hence these findings were pushed under the carpet at that time.

A couple of examples of how oceanic algae called coccolithophores lead to conditions on earth being conducive for life are given below:

* Carbon dioxide is a green house gas that traps the sunlight. Appropriate levels of this gas are required to keep the temperature on earth conducive for life. Carbon dioxide in the air reacts with the calcium in the rocks to form calcium bi-carbonate. Plants, lichens and micro-organisms also accelerate this process of weathering of rocks, without which there would be more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The rivers wash the calcium bicarbonate so created into the oceans. These algae in the oceans absorb this calcium bicarbonate, and leave the ocean beds with calcium carbonate or chalk. This is one of the sinks for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It takes thousands of years before this chalk on the ocean bed gets released back to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, thus maintaining earth at a habitable state. This whole cycle keeps the temperature of earth cooler by 30 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius.

* Apart from producing the chalk, these algae in the ocean produces dimethyl sulphide. This chemical helps the production of sulphur ions that help water vapour to condense and help natural seeding of the clouds. These clouds in turn keep the earth cool enough for life through rains and reflecting sunlight back to space.

The 2 examples given above on oceanic algae are just a tip of the iceberg on how living life interacts with non-living matter to make earth a habitable place.

So, what does Gaia theory have to do with biodiversity? What lessons does Gaia theory teach us on nature and biodiversity?

* What this theory tells us about biodiversity is that the web of life is so complex that each life form has a value to us. Further, this process of self-regulation of conditions on earth would not be possible with a few species. We need the millions of species on earth to ensure that conditions on earth are favourable for habitation.

* The healing process of nature is complex and slow. It takes for instance around 400 generations to repair the destruction done to a habitat like the tropical forest. The cycle described earlier on carbon dioxide would take 500,000 years to clean up the the carbon dioxide we have released in the form of pollution.

* The most important lesson this theory teaches us is that those life forms that add to nature, increase their chances of survival, while those like the humans who deplete from it make the chances of survival of the progeny lesser! Do we want to become the dinosaurs of tomorrow, by destroying and disregarding biodiversity?

Perhaps understanding the relation between humans, nature and the complex web of life, the Native American Tribals used to have a leader called a "Shaman". A Shaman was a person who was an expert on nature. He ensured that the resources of nature and each species of nature were consumed by the tribe in a manner that is most appropriate for nature. The culture of the tribe was such that when an individual appropriated an unfair share of nature without sharing it with others, he was looked down by the entire tribe.

Our fore fathers used to treat nature as an object to worship. Gaia theory teaches us that nature is an object to be treated with respect and biodiversity is required for sustenance of life. A trek along a biodiverse place like the Western Ghats, is one way we can pay our respects to nature. Another more important way to do the same , is to salute and endow with resources the Shamen of our times- the conservationists. They are not the leaders of our times, but they may be doing the most important thing of our times!

(Courtesy: Resurgence magazine)

- K. Sriram,

Sriram is an MBA from IIM, Bangalore and is currently working in Infosys. His email ID is "SRIRAM_K@infosys.com"