Question

Which of the following environmental concepts or framework models argues that the biosphere acts as a self-regulating, complex singular organism maintaining climate stability through feedback loops?

• A. \( \text{The Tragedy of the Commons} \)
• B. \( \text{The Gaia Hypothesis} \)
• C. \( \text{The Deep Ecology Paradigm} \)
• D. \( \text{The Limits to Growth Model} \)

Hint:

Whenever an environmental question describes Earth acting as a single, self-regulating biological organism, the answer is always the Gaia Hypothesis (named after the ancient Greek goddess of the Earth).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: Global environmental politics includes diverse theoretical frameworks that explore the relationship between human industry and the natural biosphere.

Step 1: Define the core components of the Gaia Hypothesis. The Gaia Hypothesis, developed by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the 1970s, states that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic, self-regulating complex system that helps maintain the conditions for life.

Step 2: Contrast with alternative environmental concepts.
• Tragedy of the Commons: Focuses on the overuse and depletion of shared, open-access resources.
• Limits to Growth: A 1972 Club of Rome report that modeled the consequences of exponential economic and population growth against finite resources.