Alone in the known universe the Earth glows bright with life, a unique
cosmic oasis of biodiversity which is now under threat from our own
actions.
The Earth is a unique as a living planet, a cosmic oasis drifting in the
vastness of barren space. It is strikingly and obviously different from
our nearest heavenly neighbours, the Moon, Venus and Mars, in its thin
skin of biology, extending from the surface for a few kilometres into
the crust, and for a few tens of kilometres into the air. But how did
this remarkable abundance and diversity of life arise? How has life
survived over the enormous time frame of Earth's history? And does it
continue to flourish now, especially with the growing pressure for space
from humans?
The Cosmic Oasis examines life on Earth, from our earliest
interactions with animals and plants to our absolute domination of
biology. It follows our developing understanding of life's origins, its
remarkable complexity, and its interactions with the air, oceans and
land. It also shows how patterns of diversity across the surface of the
planet evolved, and how humans are now homogenising these, degrading
both biodiversity and the space in which life can exist. Within this
overall trend of loss there are some remarkable examples of survival,
from the beneficial relationships between the gelada monkeys and wolves
of the Ethiopian highlands, and the people and brown howler monkeys of
Porte Allegre in Brazil, to interactions between you and your gut
microbiome. Thoughout, the authors ask what these interactions can teach
us about building a better relationship with nature, and consider how we
might become stewards, rather than destructive exploiters, of the life
around us.
