The Intertwined Relationship of Life and the Planetary Thermostat

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The productivity of plankton affects the planetary thermostat by regulating carbon dioxide levels, which in turn influences the Earth's temperature. Life has been intricately linked with this mechanism for billions of years, enhancing and amplifying its power.

A cell is alive. So is a leaf and so is a tree. But what about the forest they’re a part of? Is that forest alive? And what about the planet that forest grows on? Is Earth alive? Science writer Ferris Jabr says: Yes.

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