Food for Thought
“What is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?”
James Madison
Tag Archives: restoration
The future of marine fish
[This article was an invited piece for the American Institute of Biological Sciences' Action Bioscience online site. I had occasion to mull its content afresh recently after a visit to the University of British Columbia's Fisheries Centre, whose "Sea Around … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Oceans, Sustainability
Tagged fishing, food, natural capital, research, restoration
1 Comment
Can Nature heal?
It’s a tough job these days being an environmentalist proponent of sustainability. Bad news and warnings of impending doom at every turn. One might be forgiven for craving a bit of sunshine every once in a while. One of the … Continue reading
Nature is hiring
[Editor's note: Following is Paul Hawken's recent commencement speech to the graduating class of the University of Portland. It is so inspiring, so filled with poetry and wisdom, and so dead on the mark that I feel compelled to reproduce … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Biophilia, Education, Natural Patriots, Science, Sustainability
Tagged heroes, restoration, soul
2 Comments
Green, leafy, and cool
Now that it is becoming increasingly clear that we are already on board for a substantial increase in global temperature in the coming century, the discussion has broadened from efforts to cut the greenhouse gases that drive the process, which … Continue reading
Death and taxes . . . and reincarnation
Recently I got an uncharacteristic surge of organizational momentum, girded my loins, donned my battle gear, and dove into the swamp of my home office filing system. Many of you will appreciate from your own experience what a daunting task … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Books and media, Sustainability
Tagged food, recycling, restoration
3 Comments
Locals only
The creeping dominance of suburbia by non-native ornamental plants is depleting the abundance and diversity of native animals too—but landscaping with native plants can help reverse the trend. Yes, we can! (OK, I am still in the grips of Obamaphoria) … Continue reading
Handle with care
[This recent editorial in the journal Nature captures one of our central challenges as a global society so well that I quote the article here in full. The article refers specifically to a forest in Poland that is among the … Continue reading
49 people who could save the planet
The list (of 50) is out at the Guardian. There are a number of obvious choices (Al Gore, Wangari Maathai), a few oddballs (Cormac McCarthy? Say what? Leonardo di Caprio? Honestly.), and various ordinary and a few extraordinary unknown individuals … Continue reading
Biofuels and sustainability: the pros weigh in
The Ecological Society of America, the Nation’s leading body of professional ecological scientists (of which I am a proud member), has released a position statement on biofuels sustainability. The full text is here. Because these are highly important issues and … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Politics, Sustainability
Tagged climate, economics, energy, restoration
3 Comments
Can we afford to save the world?
The environmental problems the world faces are daunting. One often hears that the economic costs involved in resource conservation, reforestation, transition to a new energy regime, and so forth are so high that solving them is simply too expensive. But this … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Sustainability
Tagged climate, economics, energy, food, happiness, health, natural capital, population, restoration
1 Comment
