Gifts from the Sun

Gifts from the Sun

It is the beginning of time…, volcanic ash fades, there is almost no life to be seen on the whole face of the earth. Warm rays beam down on the dark shadowy planet. A microbe wiggles then rain pours on the dry surface. After a few weeks the microbe starts to grow into a small plant.

The tiny plant grows tall and green. It develops fast into a mature plant, and produces seeds. Another dry spell comes, the plant withers and dies. It releases its seeds. The seeds float away, fall to the ground and start to grow.

Meanwhile in the sea, another microbe is developing from one cell to two cells, three and so on. This is the beginning of marine life.

Two hundred billion years onwards….

The suns rays are powerful. There is a layer above the earth, the ozone layer, it blocks out most of the suns harmful rays. A hole in this layer exists near Antarctica, caused by pollution.
Without the ozone layer the earth’s surface would be to hot and dry
for life to exist.

It is the year 2009, the earth’s surface is now covered with dry deserts, green forests, deep oceans, tall mountains, fertile grasslands and ice.

We live the right distance away from the sun, not too hot, not too cold, so we can have life on our planet. The sun also keeps the water cycle going. Water in puddles, lakes, rivers and seas is heated by the sun, it turns into water vapour an invisible gas which rises up into the sky to form clouds. The clouds move towards the mountains and
rain. The rain drains into rivers and collects in the sea.

From the first cells of life to the magnificent deserts and forests we have today, all this life was created by the sun and just a few other elements.

The sun gives us the precious gift of life.