The concept of Earth as a living organism is most notably formalized by the Gaia hypothesis (or Gaia theory), developed by scientist James Lovelock and microbiologist Lynn Margulis in the 1970s.

Could Earth Develop Its Own Consciousness? The Gaia Hypothesis Offers an Unorthodox Answer Learn about the controversial Gaia hypothesis, stating that Earth is its own living system kept in balance by organisms.

Life is defined as any system capable of performing functions such as eating, metabolizing, excreting, breathing, moving, growing, reproducing, and responding to external stimuli, the period between birth and death, or the experience or state of being alive.

Our forests, rivers, oceans and soils provide us with the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we irrigate our crops with. We also rely on them for numerous other goods and services we depend on for our health, happiness and prosperity. These natural assets are often called the world's 'natural capital'.