James Lovelock

EL REVOLUCIONARIO REPLANTEAMIENTO DE LA VIDA Y DE LA TIERRA QUE INSPIRÓ EL MOVIMIENTO ECOLOGISTAEn esta obra clásica que sigue inspirando a muchos lectores, James Lovelock expone su idea de que la Tierra funciona como un organismo unico. Dirigido a un publico no cientifco, el libro propone un viaje a traves del tiempo y el espacio en busca de las pruebas que apoyan una concepcion radicalmente distinta de nuestro planeta.Frente a la creencia convencional de que la vida se mantiene pasiva ante las amenazas a su existencia, Lovelock explora la hipotesis de que los seres vivos de la Tierra influyen en el aire, el oceano y las rocas para formar un sistema complejo y autorregulado que tiene la capacidad de preservar las condiciones favorables a la vida.Desde su primera publicacion, la hipotesis de James Lovelock ha sido muy debatida en los circulos cientifcos, si bien cada vez son mas las voces que apoyan su planteamiento. En un nuevo prologo a esta edicion, el autor se explaya sobre el estado actual de esta apasionante controversia.

James Lovelock, creador de la hipótesis Gaia y el mayor pensador ambiental de nuestro tiempo, ha creado una asombrosa y novedosa teoría sobre el futuro de la vida en la Tierra. Sostiene que el Antropoceno la era en la que los humanos adquirimos tecnologias a escala planetaria, esta llegando a su fin despues de trescientos años. Una nueva era, el Novaceno, ha comenzado ya.Surgiran nuevos seres a partir de los sistemas de inteligencia artificial existentes. Pensaran diez mil veces mas deprisa que nosotros y nos veran como nosotros vemos hoy a las plantas: como criaturas que actuan y piensan con una lentitud desesperante. Pero no se tratara de la cruel y violenta toma del poder del planeta por parte de las maquinas imaginada por los escritores y cineastas de ciencia ficcion. Estos seres hiperinteligentes seran tan dependientes de la salud del planeta como lo somos nosotros. Necesitaran tanto como nosotros que el sistema de refrigeracion planetaria de Gaia los defienda del creciente calor del Sol. Y Gaia depende de la vida organica. Seremos aliados en este proyecto.A juicio de Lovelock, resulta crucial que la inteligencia de la Tierra sobreviva y prospere. No cree que existan alienigenas inteligentes, por lo que seriamos los unicos seres capaces de comprender el cosmos. Quizas, especula, el Novaceno podria ser incluso el comienzo de un proceso que conduzca finalmente a que la inteligencia impregne el cosmos en su totalidad. A sus cien años, James Lovelock ha creado la obra mas importante y convincente de su vida.

?El concepto de Gaia, entendido como un planeta vivo, constituye para mí la base esencial de todo ecologismo que se quiera coherente y práctico; refuta la arraigada visión de que la Tierra es una propiedad inmobiliaria, una suerte de gigantesca hacienda que esta ahi para ser explotada en beneficio de la humanidad. La falsa creencia de que somos los dueños de la Tierra, o sus administradores, es la que nos permite escudarnos en politicas y programas supuestamente ecologistas mientras seguimos sin transformar nuestra conducta.? En 1969, el investigador britanico James Lovelock presento su Hipotesis de Gaia, una teoria por la que la Tierra se define como un gran organismo vivo capaz de regular sus condiciones esenciales ?como la salinidad de los oceanos o la temperatura? para mantenerse en equilibrio. Pertenecemos a Gaia revisita las bases de su teoria para narrarnos la historia de nuestro extraordinario planeta y advertirnos sobre los peligros de nuestros abusos e impactos.

Now in his 95th year, James Lovelock has been hailed as "the man who conceived the first wholly new way of looking at life on earth since Charles Darwin? (Independent) and "the most profound scientific thinker of our time? (Literary Review). AA Rough Ride to the Future introduces two new Lovelockian ideas. The first is that three hundred years ago, when Thomas Newcomen invented the steam engine, he was unknowingly beginning what Lovelock calls "accelerated evolution,? a process that is bringing about change on our planet roughly a million times faster than Darwinian evolution. The second is that as part of this process, humanity has the capacity to become the intelligent part of Gaia, the self-regulating earth system whose discovery Lovelock first announced nearly fifty years ago. AA Rough Ride to the Future is also an intellectual autobiography, in which Lovelock reflects on his life as a lone scientist, and askseloquentlywhether his career trajectory is possible in an age of increased bureaucratization. AWe are now changing the atmosphere again, and Lovelock argues that there is little that can be done about this. But instead of feeling guilty, we should recognize what is happening, prepare for change, and ensure that we survive as a species so we can contribute toperhaps even guidethe next evolution of Gaia. The road will be rough, but if we are smart enough, life will continue on earth in some form far into the future.

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe creator of the Gaia hypothesis and the greatest environmental thinker of our time has produced an astounding new theory about the future of life on Earth James Lovelock argues that the anthropocene the age in which humans acquired planetary scale technologies is after three centuries coming to an end A new age the novacene has already begun New beings will emerge from existing artificial intelligence systems They will think 10 000 times faster than we do and will regard us as we now regard plants The cruel violent machine takeover imagined by sci fi writers will not happen these hyper intelligent beings will be as dependent on the health of the planet as we are They will need the planetary cooling system of Gaia to defend from the increasing heat of the sun Gaia depends on organic life We will be partners in this project It is crucial Lovelock argues that the intelligence of Earth survives and prospers We are at present the only beings capable of understanding the cosmos but he speculates that the novacene could be the beginning of a process that will see intelligence suffusing the entire cosmos At the age 100 Lovelock has produced the most compelling work of his life

¿Podemos aún salvar la Tierra?Durante miles de años la Humanidad ha explotado la Tierra sin tener en cuenta las consecuencias. Ahora que el calentamiento global es evidente para cualquier observador imparcial, la Tierra comienza a vengarse. En este apasionado alegato, James Lovelock argumenta que, aunque el cambio climatico es inevitable, todavia no es demasiado tarde para salvar la Tierra.

Argues passionately and poetically that although global warming is inevitable we are not yet too late to save at least part of human civilization. This short book written at the age of eighty-six after a lifetime engaged in the science of the earth is authors testament.

For millennia, humankind has exploited the Earth without counting the cost. Now, as the world warms and weather patterns dramatically change, the Earth is beginning to fight back. James Lovelock, one of the giants of environmental thinking, argues passionately and poetically that, although global warming is now inevitable, we are not yet too late to save at least part of human civilization. This short book, written at the age of eighty-six after a lifetime engaged in the science of the earth, is his testament.

Why would a ninety year old man choose to defy his most trusted physician? Because in an act of splendid generosity Sir Richard Branson offered him the chance to fly into space, to share that transcendental feeling known only to astronauts - that our home is the Earth itself, not the house or the street or the nation where we live - which for a scientist who has spent a lifetime studying the way our planet works was irresistible. As climate change develops and poses new problems James Lovelock will offer a view of our and the Earth''s possible future in light of this trip differing from that of most scientists and the science of the IPCC.We are trying already to undo some of the harm we have done and will try harder, even desperately, but until we see that the Earth is more than a mere ball of rock we are unlikely to remedy the cause of the change. The root problem is that there are too many people, pets and livestock for the Earth to carry. "The Face of Gaia" will tell us why it matters that we see and feel the earth as a living organism. The cost of our neglect of Gaia could soon cause the greatest human tragedy in living memory, because the Earth, in its but not our interests, is now moving into a new hot epoch, one where it can more easily continue to keep the planet habitable. If we are to have any chance to avoiding global catastrophe his words should be heeded.

In this classic work that continues to inspire many readers Jim Lovelock puts forward his idea that the Earth functions as a single organism Written for non scientists Gaia is a journey through time and space in search of evidence in support of a radically different model of our planet In contrast to conventional belief that life is passive in the face of threats to its existence the book explores the hypothesis that the Earth s living matter influences air ocean and rock to form a complex self regulating system that has the capacity to keep the Earth a fit place for life Since Gaia was first published Jim Lovelock s hypothesis has become a hotly debated topic in scientific circles In a new Preface to this edition he outlines his view of the present state of the debate Oxford Landmark Science books are must read classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas and shaped the way we think

Lovelock's unique authority and original perspective sets this book apart from other books on environmental change. He speaks as a planetary physician with more than forty years' experience of thinking about how to respond to the Earth's needs as a living organism. Illustrated with examples drawn from his experiences around the world, Lovelock draws many radical conclusions, most controversially a passionate advocacy of nuclear energy. This, he argues, is not only a secure, safe and reliable source of energy but also the only way to counter the lethal heat waves and rising sea levels, which will increasingly threaten civilisations. Lovelock argues that the only way for humankind to come to terms with Gaia now, and have a chance of surviving, is to embrace science and technology, not reject them. This is his passionate manifesto of how to do that and so lessen our impact on the Earth before it is too late.

Homenaje a Gaia. Vida de un científico independiente, es la extraordinaria autobiografía, publicada por Oxford University Press en 2000 (Homage to Gaia), del gran científico inglés James Lovelock, conocido en particular por su hipotesis Gaia. Durante mas de 35 años Lovelock ha estado realizando ciencia de primera fila desde su casa, situada en un pequeño pueblo ingles. Su obra esta en la base de la creacion del movimiento ecologista y su famosa hipotesis Gaia ha cambiado la forma en la que pensamos acerca de nuestro planeta. Este libro es un calido testamento personal de un hombre que ha llevado una vida extraordinaria. Lovelock es uno de los pensadores mas destacados, influyentes y creativos del siglo XX.La traduccion de Homenaje a Gaia es de Jose Luis Gil Aristu, quien ha realizado numerosas traducciones para Alianza Editorial, Siglo XXI, Peninsula y Galaxia Gutemberg.No hay autobiografia de un cientifico moderno que compita con esta (The Observer)Un libro lucido, agudo y a menudo muy divertido... Lovelock escribe tan bien como siempre (New Statesman)Un libro que cualquier interesado en la ciencia debe leer (The Times Higher Education Supplement)

Por qué la Tierra está rebelándose y cómo podemos todavía salvar a la Humanidad.Durante miles de años la Humanidad ha explotado la tierra sin tener en cuenta las consecuencias. Ahora que el calentamiento global y el cambio climatico son evidentes para cualquier observador imparcial, la Tierra comienza a vengarse. La Humanidad no solo esta a punto de autodestruirse sino que todas las soluciones propuestas o aplicadas hasta ahora no pueden resolver el problema (la biomasa, la energia solar, etc.). El profundo conocimiento del autor sobre la ciencia del calentamiento global le permite darnos una verdadera explicacion sobre lo que esta pasando y propone soluciones realistas para el mayor problema al que ha tenido que enfrentarse la Humanidad. En este apasionado alegato, James Lovelock argumenta que, aunque el cambio climatico ya es inevitable, todavia no es demasiado tarde para salvarnos (o al menos algunos de nosotros). Si quiere saber que esta pasando con la Tierra y que se puede hacer para salvarla, este es el libro que hay que leer.