Food for Thought
“My heart found its home long ago in the beauty, mystery, order and disorder of the flowering earth.”
Lady Bird Johnson
Monthly Archives: October 2007
Campus sustainability: Have you seen junior’s grades?
I know I’ve already used that subtitle in a different context but I couldn’t resist. Perhaps I’m getting into a rut . . . Anyway, the College Sustainability Report Card for 2008 has been released. This effort, led by the non-profit … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Sustainability
3 Comments
Global poverty is solvable – just watch this
Fascinating editorial in this week’s issue of Nature arguing that “Many ‘developing’ countries are much more developed than some people think. Their rapid progress should inspire scientists and their institutions to do more to confront global poverty.” The immensity of … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Politics, Sustainability
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Sacred places and biodiversity conservation
Why should we care about biodiversity? I frequently lecture on biodiversity science and trends, and some of the policy implications of declining biodiversity. The main theme I develop comes from the major scientific effort in the last decade on … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Biophilia, Sustainability
3 Comments
America the Green (some restrictions may apply)
Forbes magazine has just released its survey of the “greenest state in the land of the free” (to borrow from the old Davy Crockett TV show theme). Forbes ranked each state in six equally weighted categories: carbon footprint, air quality, … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Politics, Sustainability
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Planet in Peril
That’s the name of a new documentary on the state of the Earth to air this coming Tuesday and Wednesday nights (23 and 24 October) on CNN. Normally, I shy away from anything that might be considered advertising. But this … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Books and media, Education, Politics, Sustainability
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Newt Gingrich and Terry Maple: Natural Patriots
Yes, that Newt Gingrich. I admit this is hard for me, as a lifelong Democrat. But bear with me. In our better moments, we all like to talk about finding common ground and fostering bipartisanship and all that stuff. … Continue reading
Posted in Books and media, Natural Patriots, Politics, Sustainability
3 Comments
One way to pay for conservation
Significant news on the US legislative front (from the Ecological Society of America’s press release): “The House cleared a bill on October 10 that would let foreign nations pay off some of their debt by protecting coral reefs and tropical … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Oceans, Politics, Sustainability
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Gore scores!
With the constant tide of depressing, alarming, and just plain bizarre news always lapping at our shoes, it’s a comfort to know that there is indeed still some justice and sanity remaining in the world. Al Gore, dogged and indefatigable warrior … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Sustainability
6 Comments
Write your grandkids a letter . . . and explain yourself
Climate change denialists — what are these guys thinking? I mean, what do they really think, in their heart of hearts (or whatever organ it is they use to make arguments such as this) when noone else is listening? I have … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Politics, Sustainability
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As the rest of the world turns . . .
. . . the USA opens a sleepy eye and rolls over. France recently engaged an unlikely coalition of farmers, fishermen, trade unionists, captains of industry, environmentalists, scientists, and politicians to develop a blueprint for a new “green revolution” in … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Politics, Sustainability
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