“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Greek Proverb “In Iroquois society, leaders are encouraged to remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future when making decisions that affect the people.” Wilma Mankiller “It’s all Al Gore’s fault anyway,” […]
Category Archives: decision making
“It’s a boondoggle based on bad science and ignores the geologic record,” my friend stated decisively. “It’s bad enough that they’re making us drive electric cars, bankrupting the coal industry, and subsidizing wind farms, but now they’re trying to charge a carbon tax to pay for their outlandish schemes.” He regrouped for his final argument, […]
“An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” attributed to Thomas Jefferson “Paper or plastic?” the cashier asked. I glanced at my purchases already snugged into a plastic bag, but saw no paper bags on the counter. Seeing my puzzled look, she said, “Cash or credit card?” A few […]
The couple approached me on the trail, tossing a frisbee for their dog to retrieve. I petted the friendly dog when he approached, and politely informed the guy that he should really keep the dog on a leash. There were lots of people on the trail, some with dogs or kids, and I offered him […]
The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery, not over nature but of ourselves. Rachel Carson “In the 1860’s an army surveyor was here and noted that the grass grew up to his horse’s shoulders,” he said. The archaeologist and I stood on a small bluff overlooking the Little Colorado […]
I am struck again by the apparently incompatible concept of man and nature. When we intrude into nature, do we decrease its nature-ness? “But all conservation of wildness is self-defeating, for to cherish we must see and fondle, and when enough have seen and fondled, there is no wilderness left to cherish.” Aldo Leopold, A […]
“…a land ethic that holds at its core an appreciation for the community, not just the commodity, of your property,” John Marzluff, Subirdia Studies have reported that approximately three percent of the earth’s land surface is urbanized and the ‘human footprint’ is felt on up to 83%. A third of our land is devoted to […]
“It is past time to broaden the discussion of the human future and connect it to the rest of life.” E.O. Wilson, Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life Extinctions. Habitat loss. Climate change. We are wreaking havoc on the natural world. In spite of his dire warnings, E.O. Wilson is relatively upbeat about our chances […]
“Little Egypt came out struttin’, wearing nuttin’ but a button and a bow.” The Coasters As I sang by the bonfire, the adults laughed and the kids were embarrassed. The fire kept us warm in the night breeze off the ocean, and the sand sifted beneath us as we passed the wine around and ate […]
“Nowadays man finds himself to be a technical giant and an ethical child.” Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga “The amplification of our lives by technology grants us a power we can no longer afford to use.” George Monbiot, Feral It was a shiny, four-wheel drive, crew cab pickup and I expected to see the […]
Writes of Nature 