Gaia – The Living Planet is a term that can be interpreted in a few ways and one such way is literally saying that the planet is a conscious living organism or entity. That it is aware of itself and of the activities going on about its surface.
Taking this path of thought, we may have to take a more contextual view of the situation and the best way to see it, is in saying that the planet is likened to that of a great and wondrous elephant. The beast’s dry and wrinkly skin is similar to the landscape of our planet as in canyons and its sparse hairs to be trees (indeed it would be saying the world is ocean less and lacks vegetation but this is the best example I could muster).
We living beings, sprawled over the planet’s crust in great numbers, draining resources day by day, show startling similarities to parasites that plague an elephant’s back such as those that birds pick and feed off. In this contextual view, yes the two are the same but, with that said, WOULD the planet actually feel our movements? Our activates and endeavours? Does the elephant feel its minute visitors? Does it feel a mosquito drain blood?
Now, by saying that the planet does feel us, would be saying that yes our wondrous elephant feels the so said. But we know from our own experiences that we do not feel the bite of a mosquito but only the itch, so therefore and elephant shouldn’t. Thus, in relation to a living planet, it is doubtful that our presence would be noticeable.
But what if it did feel us? Would our mining of oil, coal and gas be painful? Would our movements tickle our great host and cause irritation? Would it be angered at how we mistreat its skin? The questions here drift ominously into a religious arena, likening the living planet to a god like status. To know and feel all and to be omnipresent is a characteristic held by a deity and if so was true, then the host would grow increasingly tired of its parasites and seek to purge them quickly.
But this argument is a dangerous (and could be said to be insensitive) one as some could say that catastrophic natural disasters are the planet’s way of showing us its power. Reminding us of our mortality and that we must treat our great host with respect and consideration.
In any way we look at the listed, it is important to look after our planet for it supports us in many ways. We as a race have a great responsibility to steer towards a cleaner future and see to it that our host, whether it be living or not, doesn’t become sick of our presence.
But, who said that this Gaia was even our Earth?
Gaia, A Short Dissertation
A short and brief dissertation exploring a few ideas in which me may look at a living planet. Asking questions for further thought and study to find a deeper answer outside the term, Gaia – The Living Planet.