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Gaia is the name of the Greek goddess of the Earth. The Gaia hypothesis is that the Earth is more worthy of the respect and reverence once shown to Gaia than modern people have supposed. According to this hypothesis, the Earth is a self-regulating system, of which humans are an unruly part. In particular, the organisms on the Earth's surface play a major role in determining the composition of the atmosphere to ensure that it is favorable to life. Some proponents judge from the scientific evidence that the Earth has its own intelligence and depict it in almost personal, quasi-divine, terms. This provides religious support for concern about particular features of the global ecosystem.

See also ANIMAL RIGHTS; BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY; DEEP ECOLOGY; ECOFEMINISM; ECOLOGY; ECOLOGY, ETHICS OF; ECOLOGY, RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECTS; ECOLOGY, SCIENCE OF; ECOTHEOLOGY; SACRAMENTAL UNIVERSE

JOHN COBB