The belief that Earth is a macroscopic organism in a similar way as we might be a microscopic organism is rooted in ancient culture. In recent decades, however, it has been the subject of scientific study at the fringes. James Lovelock's much abused Gaia Hypothesis, puts forth a serious framework thru which one might come to understand Earth as a complex living creature. Resonant with Gaia Hypothesis, Richard Lindzen, of MIT, suggests in his Iris Hypothesis that Earth employs a sort of cybernetic self-regulating mechanism by which it keeps temperature in check. This being done by an adaptive infrared iris "that effectively counters global warming (Lindzen et al. 2001). Much like the iris in a human eye contracts to allow less light to pass through the pupil in a brightly lit environment".
Lindzen suggested that increased sea surface temperature in the tropics would result in reduced cirrus clouds and thus more infrared radiation leakage from Earth's atmosphere.
“We wanted to see if the amount of cirrus associated with a given unit of cumulus varied systematically with changes in sea surface temperature,” he says. “The answer we found was, yes, the amount of cirrus associated with a given unit of cumulus goes down significantly with increases in sea surface temperature in a cloudy region.”, says Lindzen.
¿Is Earth making clouds to suit her desired weather?
Hat tip Fadereu