Aug 10, 2022, Wed — Another day another sigh. I am still living in this funk. But no matter, let’s jump into Part 1 of the Gaia Hypothesis.

(Great big ones. Loud ones. These are the days of gigantic sighs.) I did paint a bit today, but it was one of those short days due to, sigh, numerous ever-infiltrating distractions. Three hours, I got in. But, hey, you make progress in three hours. And it’s yellow. A no-sigh color. In a no-sigh zone. I consider myself lucky.

Part 1 of the Gaia Hypothesis

Thought I’d share this amazing article by James Lovelock, founder of the Gaia hypothesis. Lovelock was one of our truly brilliant independent-thinking scientists and humans, a PhD in medicine, inventor, independent scientist, author, and researcher at Harvard, NASA and many other institutions. 

Lovelock proposed the Gaia Hypothesis in 1965, proposing that the Earth itself, this ball of rocks, surrounded by air, and supporting this thin zone of “life” (the biosphere), constituted one big living organism. His writings were influential to my decision at age 14 to work for Gaia (this living Earth) as a scientist. Throughout my life, have never wavered from that prime directive of working for Gaia. And I first was a scientist, a hydrogeologist. Unfortunately, the corruption and politics were so brutal and my and my colleagues findings were often scrapped due to same, that I left this field early. But not before having 4 scientific papers to my name at 27 years old. Which is saying something. (There’s a bigger story regarding my exit I will share someday.) 

After that, I studied the human potential movement and eventually launched my own syndicated column, the thinking being that I would try to influence consciousness through words, since being a scientist had failed (at least for me). Sometimes I regret this decision to leave the sciences entirely. But that was my path, and finally, I arrived where I am happiest anyway, and so surprising! And that is painting beautiful Gaia. I do believe that for me, this is the most effective way to make a difference anyway. With each painting I make, the hope is that the images will inspire a deeper caring and connection to our living planet. My paintings are personal love letters to Gaia, and they are also “research from the field”. Research I undertake and disseminate in order to sway consciousness toward respect for Gaia. I pray for real changes in behavior and policy.

I will continue this tomorrow and share with you an article Lovelock wrote in 1988 that demonstrates the Gaia Hypothesis in his most eloquent writing.