The CBI Blog
Do we need it all?
I spent two hours Saturday night listening to Annie Leonard, the author of "The Story of Stuff", a 2-year-old book and movie about where stuff comes from and where it goes and why we should pay attention to this.
Jellyfish could be the poster child for climate change adaptation
Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations cause oceans to warm up and their pH to drop.
The #1 climate change signal: the planet is getting warmer.
In a warmer world, agriculture, industry, and other human water uses will compete for the same water that plants and animals need to survive. Optimizing water use is key to the future.
Climate change and mountain-top removal mining
Most of the publications or reports coming out with recommendations about climate change adaptation strategies for ecosystem management emphasize the need to reduce non-climate-related stresses (i.e. anthropogenic stresses such as habitat degradation or destruction, pollution, over-harvest, invasive introduction, etc). It makes perfect sense to think that ecosystems – just like our own bodies – will respond better to change when the overall stress level is low.
Three really effective habits of conservationists
Conservationists are certainly not without their annoying habits and stereotypes. Overdeveloped sense of righteousness? Definitely. Inability to gauge friends’ interest in the Latin names of plants? Check. Frequent abuse of patchouli? Possibly. Many of us are guilty of these and many more. But TNC’s David Cleary picks three habits that don’t make our list. Habits that, in fact, are already changing the world.
Let's clean house before pointing the finger
While the US continues finger pointing at China and their development of coal power plants, I am reminded of Jean Philippe Cousteau talking about polluted waters around the world and saying when you point your finger at someone, 3 of your fingers are directly pointing at yourself.
Volunteers Brave Conditions to Enhance Habitat
Cold rain. Sticky, slippery mud. Perfect conditions for a successful volunteer event? You bet! Twenty hearty volunteers including 4 children showed up to help plant native seeds at a San Diego National Wildlife Refuge restoration site on December 12th.
Help them discover it within themselves
Citizen science has been promoting the discovery by individuals of the changes that have occurred during their own lifetime. Making scientific data easily accessible and documenting change will likely improve communication and shorten the gap between scientific community and the general public.
Opposing points of view
Today, my high school alma mater, Catlin Gable, posted a podcast from Headmaster Michael Heath about taking opposing sides of an argument seriously. It was a good reminder of how divisive and contrary we can become while involved in a debate. Heated arguments usually result in alienation and elevated emotions. In the sciences, popular media loves to pick up on these heated debates because they gain viewership.
Fostering a sense of place
The other day, I found myself amidst a group of energetic 6th graders on a field trip to Andrew Wiley Park (Sweet Home, Oregon) on the banks of the South Santiam River. The field trip, sponsored by The Freshwater Trust (formerly Oregon Trout and the Oregon Water Trust), was one of dozens that are held each fall in Oregon as part of the Salmon Watch program designed to raise kids’ awareness of and appreciation for the value of native wild fish, aquatic conservation, and environmental stewardship. It’d been nearly six years since I last volunteered my time with this particular program and I was reflecting on the similarities and differences I observed in the kids then and now.
Keeping a sense of wonder
Early this morning my 9 year old son and I got up way before dawn to gaze at a bright moon in the sky and then watch NASA’s live feed of the LCROSS Lunar mission as it delivered its payload into the Cabeous Crater. I could feel his heart beat faster as the moon came closer and closer on the screen.
Access to Nature; a right or a privilege?
How does where we’re from influence how we connect with nature? I have spent most of my life living on the west coast of the United States, a place full of wide open spaces and natural diversity. Recently I travelled to Croatia to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site Plitvice Lakes (Plitvicka Jereza) National Park, a popular tourist destination known for its sixteen terraced lakes, numerous waterfalls and dense beech, fir and spruce forests. During my visit I was struck by the congestion caused by the large tour groups of keen photographers and elderly visitors (some in high heeled shoes) being guided along narrow boardwalks. Walking in this unique natural area, sounds were drowned out by voices and views were obscured by bodies. It got me thinking about the way in which individuals interact and feel connected to nature.
Staying Optimistic in a Pessimistic World
Often at meetings and after making presentations, I am asked how I stay optimistic in a pessimistic world regarding the environment? I decided to jot down ways in which I view the “glass” as half full. Some of these I think come under the heading of professional observations while others are more personal things I do to cope with the daily challenges in conservation. I offer this blend for those who are struggling with feelings of hopelessness about the fate of our environment.
Wine: the climate change canary in the coal mine or an industry that knows how to adapt to climate change
The majority of the world's wine-producing regions have experienced growing season warming trends in the last 20 years. Vintage quality ratings have increased significantly while year-to-year variation has declined. While winemaking has changed and husbandry practices may have improved, climate has, and will continue to have, a significant role in quality variations.
Data Basin at the 2009 ESRI UC
We are now part way through presenting Data Basin at the 2009 ESRI User Conference in San Diego. Come see us in the Conservation Hall (ballroom 20d) to get a live demo and let us know how Data Basin can help you do your work more effectively.
Tools to bridge communication: Science reaching the public
Yesterday Pew published a study showing the communication and understanding gap between the public and the scientific community. As we face many critical future decisions regarding our environment, there is no greater time in recent history that the general public needs to be informed and educated about the natural world they live in. A few years back I was in Duluth Minn. for the yearly Society for Conservation Biology meeting.
Eating our way to conservation
Can local food systems help people invest in conservation? Earlier this month I travelled to Green Bay, Wisconsin for the Indigenous Mapping Network Conference. As part of the conference we were treated to a tour of a local reservation. While in the car one visitor started asking our tour guide about what foods are harvested locally.
Protected areas, roads, and wildlife
I recently returned from a short trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. It was truly an amazing time of the year to go, because it was still early enough in the season that the park had very few visitors.
Mt St. Helens, Black Swans, and Other Surprises
This week marks the 29th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens (MSH) in Washington state. MSH is a reminder of the capacity of the future to alarm and surprise us. The challenge for scientists at CBI is how to effectively communicate surprises to the public and land managers.
Comments on The Road by Cormac Mcarthy
Good scenarios should inform society and help us learn about the future. Through such knowledge, we can take actions that change the future and allow us to avoid the worst outcomes. Science is like good art: Its quality can be partially measured as its ability to profoundly change us.
