Gaia hypothesis
The Gaia hypothesis, also known as Gaia theory or Gaia principle, named after earth goddess Gaia, proposes that living organisms interact with their nonliving inorganic surroundings on Earth to self-regulate the Earth's environment, a complex system that contributes to maintaining the conditions for life on the planet.  The hypothesis was developed in the 1970's by James Lovelock with Lynn Margulis.