Why on Earth is our Planet so Good for Life Here
Like Abraham and David, looking up into the night sky we see myriads of twinkling stars and perhaps the steady light of the other planets in our galaxy. Have you ever wondered what makes EARTH the ONLY planet that’s brimming with life? Mercury is too hot, being too close to the sun. Venus has a hostile atmosphere of dense carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid clouds. On Mars, the red planet, probes have indicated there is some frozen water and carbon dioxide ice but there are dust storms and no protective magnetic field. And none of the outer planets have conditions that could support life.
So, what is it about earth that makes it so special and able to support life? 10 attributes can be noted, 8 provisions and 2 protections:-
1. Heat. The surface temperature range of the earth is approximately minus 50oC at the Poles and plus 50oC in the deserts and living things can exist within most of that temperature range.
2. WATER. Water is the key to life as we know it and there is plenty of it in its three forms - frozen, liquid and vapour. Its availability is kept relatively constant through evaporation, cloud formation, and rain falling from the clouds and collecting in rivers that flow back into the sea.
3. ATMOSPHERE. With sunlight, vegetation on land and in water uses the Carbon Dioxide and makes the oxygen necessary for animal life, and carbon for growth.
4. The earth has an IRON CORE, which means there is:-
5. Gravity which holds onto our water in liquid and vapour forms, our atmosphere, and us!
6. SPIN. We are well suited for the 24hour day, having adequate time to work, then rest for our bodies and minds. Slower spin would increase temperature difference between day and night.
7. TILT. This unusual 23 degree tilt allows a wider spread of temperature, and creates the seasons.
8. MOON. This stabilises our spin, and creates tides.
9. OZONE in the atmosphere. The Ozone layer blocks some of the Sun’s damaging Ultraviolet radiation. (An Ozone hole over Australia due to CFC pollution caused a rise of skin cancers.)
10. A STRONG MAGNETIC FIELD, because of the molten outer Iron core. The Sun’s Solar wind of harmful particles, which damages living things, is diverted in space to the North and South Poles. This is seen as the colourful curtains of the Aurora Borealis, or Australis.
Louis Armstrong’s famous song ‘It’s a Wonderful World’ is certainly appropriate and true. Let’s praise God for it, enjoy it and look after it.
The first chapter of Genesis says ‘God made everything very good’ for all created things. How sad that we are upsetting this delicate life-giving balance of temperature and atmosphere, as well as destroying ecology across the globe, with detrimental affects for many people. We are moving far from God’s gift of a ‘Very Good Creation’. It’s the only world we have, so we need to take care of it.
“God, who made the earth, the air, the sky, the sea, who gave the light its birth: He cares for me.” Easter shows how much He cares:- “God, who sent His Son to die on Calvary, He, if I lean on Him, will care for me.”
Keith Johnson