… It is not a sentimental but a grimly literal fact that unless we share this terrestrial globe with creatures other than ourselves, we shall not be able to live on it for long. Joseph Wood Krutch The other night our big cat, Betty, sat by the closed French door staring out through the glass. […]
Category Archives: environmentalism
“A food system organized around subsidized monocultures of corn and soy … guzzled tremendous amounts of fossil fuel … and in the process emitted tremendous amounts of greenhouse gas. … the types of food that can be made from all that subsidized corn and soy … bears a large measure of responsibility for the steep […]
I grew up in a family that hunted and fished and valued the natural world. My father was an amateur naturalist and passed those tendencies on to us kids. As an attorney, he had a close relationship with many of his clients who were ranchers and farmers, and he shared with us what he understood […]
“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,” […]
It’s time that I tell you a few facts of life “Cats will be cats, and cats will be cruel Cats can be callous, and cats can be cool Cats will be cats, remember these words Cats will be cats, and cats eat birds” Facts About Cats, Timbuk 3 We had heard the shrill cries […]
“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 […]
“Wilderness might be reducible, acre by acre, but wildness is something else again.” Michael Pollen, The Botany of Desire There’s a conversation going on about wilderness areas, and whether bicycles should be allowed. Currently, no mechanical devices are allowed, such as bicycles or chainsaws. The wilderness concept is to maintain a condition as close to […]
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 […]
“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 […]
Writes of Nature 