In his first book, Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth, James Lovelock proposed a startling new theory of life: the Earth, its rocks, oceans, atmosphere, and all living things are part of one great organism, evolving over the vast span of geological time. Much scientific work has since confirmed his theory and in The Ages of Gaia he examines environmental and scientific issues in detail, including the greenhouse effect, acid rain, the depletion of the ozone layer, and the destruction of tropical forests. For this second edition he has updated the text throughout and added a new chapter on recent advances in our scientific knowledge. He sounds a warning of the damage man is doing to the health of the planet. 'We have already changed the atmosphere to an extent unprecedented in recent geological history. We seem to be driving ourselves heedlessly down a slope into a sea that is rising to drown us.'