Ecology was once considered the “subversive science.” To a large degree, environmentalism’s legitimacy derives from its long-time alliance with ecology. If environmentalists were going to a big dance, they always chose ecology as their hot date. That was before climate change became the new girl on the block. Before climate change won an Oscar, became…Continue Reading…
While mulling the 6-year disappearance of the possibly extinct Chinese paddlefish, Andy Revkin reminds us of the enduring problem with our own approach to species protection: we have an Endangered Species Act intended to save species on the brink, but not a Thriving Ecosystems Act that tries to monitor and sustain diverse communities of species…Continue Reading…
If you read this article by Carl Zimmer in Yale 360, you might notice that there’s a few looming battles over ecological thresholds. Climate scientists and climate advocates will be wrangling over acceptable planetary carbon dioxide limits, and conservation biologists and ecosystem ecologists will be arguing over acceptable species extinction levels. That’s the problem when…Continue Reading…
Can anyone dispute that climate change trumps all other ecological concerns in the public discourse? In so far as any environmental issue commands the world’s sustained attention, many would argue that this is a good thing. Climate scientists and climate advocates obviously take this view. But that does not seem to be the position of…Continue Reading…
Humans have taken over the earth. Evidently there’s a new concept that confirms this, called anthropogenic biomes. Then there’s the recent push by scientists to declare a new era, called the anthropocene. I jest, only because this is not new territory. Environmental historians have built a whole discipline from this fertile ground. And geographers dug…Continue Reading…
About that paper in Nature that I had wished made a bigger media splash: well, it did, in fact, receive some prominent coverage, such as here, here, and here. ( I still maintain it should have received more play.) The Time Magazine story carries this great quote from Steve Carpenter: Managing the environment is like…Continue Reading…
This fascinating paper (sub req) in Nature on tipping points should have made a huge splash in the media. Hell, it should have at least prompted one of those 10,000 word posts on The Oil Drum. In her NSF press release, Cheryl Dybas does a nice job of summarizing the key findings. Here’s two snippets…Continue Reading…
Can a novel about Navajo culture speak to 21st century sustainability issues? Perhaps. But almost every Southwestern archaeologist would raise an eyebrow after reading this set-up: In Girl With Skirt of Stars, Jennifer Kitchell draws a sharp contrast between modern society and a culture that has occupied the southwest of North America for thousands of…Continue Reading…
This is a pretty big generalization coming from a wildlife professional: Most Americans know very little about wildlife and nature, and this affects their ability to make intelligent, rational, and well-considered decisions. Also, I don’t think that intelligence + knowledge of nature necessarily = “rational, well-considered decisions.” In Boulder, Colorado, where I just spent a year,…Continue Reading…
I’m confused by this post on Iraq’s environmental crisis over at The Duck of Minerva. First, to attribute Iraq’s devastated environment to war, as Roger A. Payne seemingly does, is an oversimplification. Even the LA Times article that he plays off of recognizes that. Then, after tallying up the devastation, Payne concludes: In IR [International…Continue Reading…