Sir, – With reference to the letter of protest on "Nature's Mother-God" (June 10th), in response to "God, make way for Gaia: A deity even atheists can believe in" (Joe Humphreys, Unthinkable, June 4th), I quite fail to see what Dr Markus Eichhorn and his colleagues are so deeply offended about.
First of all, there is no “science” that can prove or disprove the Gaia hypothesis, so far as I can see.
There is enough evidence of “purposive” activity in Nature, surely, in innumerable details of the specialised functions of animals and plants, to make entirely plausible the idea that it – or She – is capable of working towards countering threats to its overall equilibrium.
And anyhow, the protesting ecologists are largely agreeing with me that it is the “advanced” nations –us! – that are disturbing the balance, and putting unbearable pressure on the available resources.
As for the unfortunate masses of the underdeveloped world, nothing really is their fault, nor do I suggest that it is. It is perfectly reasonable for them to aspire to join us in our overheated existence. The problem is that that will be disastrous for everyone.
I actually spent a few years back in the early 1960s in Ethiopia, and travelled a bit in East Africa down to Kenya and Tanganyika, and observed that, although the great majority of people were poor, they were at least in balance with their environment. The rains came when they should, and they went away when they should, and all was broadly in order. And look at them now! That is undoubtedly our fault, for screwing up the climate. On this, the indignant ecologists seem to be in complete agreement with me.
All they don’t like is the idea that there might be a force out there which is working to restore the balance, necessarily at the expense of our lifestyle. What sort of “consciousness’” this force might be endowed with is a moot point, but it is surely there. – Yours, etc,
JOHN DILLON
Howth,
Dublin 13.