Gaia – Our living planet

We live on an incredibly beautiful planet, with an infinitely rich life. Life is everywhere and comes in all shapes and sizes, from small microorganisms to large whales. The ocean, the land, and the air are all bursting with life. It is paradise and it is a privilege to be here.

The planet provides us with everything we need, and there are plenty for all of us. There are enough air, food, and water. It provides us with medicine from the plants, its atmosphere protects us against radiation, it gives us building materials and it gives us incredible beautiful experiences.

The sun is the source of all life on our planet. It gives us heat and energy. It gives us light. From the moon, we get ebb and flow and poetry. It is so much to admire and reflect upon.

Nature consists of cycles, which are perfect self-perpetuating and self-regulating systems. This is reflected in many ways, like for instance in seasons, where summer is followed by autumn, then winter which passes into spring. This is repeated endlessly. The cycles are essential for all life. This is something to learn from. We, humans, are totally dependent on creating systems, which uses the principles of nature. When we understand the cycles of nature, we also understand that everything is intertwined in unimaginable and amazing ways. It is both complex and simple at the same time. It is extremely intelligent, wisely and brilliantly planned.

The trees produce the oxygen we humans use to breath. We exhale carbon dioxide, which the trees need to live. A genius symbiosis that all parties benefit from. And, there are plenty of symbiosis on our planet. We can continue with the trees. With the help of an enormous network of fungus below the ground, the trees can communicate with each other and distribute important nutrients «depending on who needs it». That way it is ensured that the ecosystem of the forest gives and receives exactly the amount needed to keep the trees healthy. We are totally dependent of this symbiosis on the planet being in balance.

There are still much we do not know about our planet. We do not know everything about how it works, we have not yet explored all areas, especially not the deep oceans and we still discover new species.

There are many similarities between the human being and the planet, as compared to that we are living organisms. If you watch the globe from above the north pole through a year, concentrate this down to a second and then repeat that second over and over again, it looks like the globe is breathing. The north pole, with its snow and ice, contracts during the summer and expands during the winter. Some years ago, NASA made such an animation based on satellite images. It really looks like the globe is alive and breathing.

For our planet to continue to be habitable, we must help to keep it alive. It is a responsibility that falls on all of us. The earth and nature are not to be exploited, but to be enjoyed and treated with respect. This is something all of us must strive for. Then we will give the planet, us and our coming generations a fantastic gift.