The Medea Hypothesis
Paleontologist, Peter Ward, describes the natural system not as self-sustaining but self-destructive. It seems though that Ward may not so much be trying to replace the Gaia hypothesis, but to give it a shadow--to balance the positive feedback loop with a picture of the negative.
"Ward cheerfully concedes that he may be proven at least partly wrong.
"I'm just erecting a series of hypotheses - some are going to turn out to be true," he predicts. "But there is nothing else to balance Gaia, there's nothing else for people to take a swat at. I welcome that. I have thick skin." "
Though I have to agree with one of the reader's comments that the Gaia hypothesis is not all benevolence, and Ward's theory does have policy implications that make me nervous--that is that we as human beings take a more active role in trying to shape the natural system. On the one hand--we are part of the system so I think it's a good idea to consider our role and to make more conscious, informed decisions. On the other hand, thinking that we've got the answers to make the world a more life-sustaining place could prove just as big a disaster as people meddling with the environment for profit motives.