Discovering Geology, Discovering Gaia
Peter Westbroek · Cambridge University Press eBooks · 2022
As I write this, I am 84 years old. When I was 42, precisely halfway through my life so far, my contemporary, the microbial ecologist Wolfgang Krumbein, drew me into the Gaia debate. That was in the autumn of 1979, the moment when Lovelock’s seminal Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth made its appearance. Sadly, Wolfgang passed away a couple of months ago, but that does not alter the fact that both our lives were split in two equal halves, before and after Gaia. Gaia hit me with the strength of a lightning bolt, but unlike lightning, the impulse of Gaia persisted. I have chosen to delve into my own humble story to find out about the reason for this remarkable commitment. Why was I faithful to an idea that most scientists rejected when it appeared on the scene?