Tim Davern: The Earth is a Liver

Tim Davern shares the parallels of repairing liver function and taking care of planet Earth.

I am fascinated by the Greek myth of Prometheus, the Titan who stole fire from the god Zeus and gave it to man in the form of enlightenment. For his crime, he was chained to a rock face atop a mountain and every day, Zeus’ eagle devoured his liver, but every night it grew back, ensuring eternal torment.

How did the Greeks know that the liver had an almost divine ability to regenerate and repair itself after injury? This amazing ability is thrown into stark relief when my patients return to the clinic following successful hepatitis C therapy. In many cases, their advanced liver scarring and even early cirrhosis has dramatically improved if not completely resolved. Each time, we celebrate the miracle.

But as a rule, if ongoing liver injury is mitigated, the liver’s default seems to be repair, remodel, regenerate and ultimately recover function. Only when the liver injury is unrelenting, does the liver reach a tipping point and begin to fail in a downward spiral without a transplant.

Our home, Earth, is much the same. Despite massive injuries by humans over centuries, our planet seems to repair itself. For example, the ocean buffers global warming by absorbing CO2 emissions, coral reefs acquire genetic mutations for heat resistance, and birds, animals and even tree species migrate North to survive as the environment warms.

But like a failing liver, our world is showing signs of distress — melting glaciers, extreme weather events and rare species extinctions to name a few. Unlike the situation with a failing liver, we must face the sobering reality that there is no option for transplant here: this tiny, blue, beautiful island floating in space is the only home we get.

While hiking recently in the North Bay, I was filled with hope that our resilient little planet can still heal if we take advantage of the selfless gift Prometheus gave us — enlightenment — and help her, together, every way we can. With a Perspective, I’m Tim Davern.

Tim Davern is a liver specialist living with his family in Mill Valley. He considers Rodeo Beach hallowed ground.