Ed Abbey usually has a quote for every occasion. "Any good poet, in our age at least, must begin with the scientific view of the world; and any scientist worth listening to must be something of a poet, must possess the ability to communicate to the rest of us his sense of love and wonder at what his work discovers."
On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 11:48 AM, Warren W. Aney <[email protected]> wrote: > On nature walks with kids I will frequently pick up a native banana slug. > Their first reaction is inevitably a back-away "eeew!" But I then ask them > take a closer look as the slug starts to extend its eyestalks and feeler > stalks, waving them around to get a sense of the new world around it on my > finger surrounded by human faces. I can't know what the slug senses, but I > know these kids begin to see this slug as an interesting and complex being > they can interact with at a basic level -- not something just to be stepped > on or over. Too me, a slug has beauty and that beauty lies in both the > simplicity and efficiency of its form as well as in the vital role it plays > as a detritivore -- and in the way it complacently reacts to my presence > and > handling. It has a right to co-exist with me and these kids. And yes, I do > get slime on my fingers, but it can be rubbed off. > > Warren W. Aney > Senior Wildlife Ecologist > 9403 SW 74th Ave > Tigard, OR 97223 > (503) 246-8613 phone > (503) 539-1009 mobile > (503) 246-2605 fax > [email protected] > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news > [mailto:[email protected]]on Behalf Of Jane Shevtsov > Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 09:40 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts > > > Agreed, completely. I would say that conservation of species is > primarily about emotion and aesthetics, although there are exceptions. > Other aspects of environmentalism, however, including conservation of > many types of landscapes, are primarily about life support or > "ecosystem services". > > I tend to be skeptical of statements invoking "intrinsic rights" or > "intrinsic value". They seem to be shorthand for, "I, the speaker, > like this thing but can't really say why". > > Jane Shevtsov > > On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 11:37 AM, Heather Reynolds <[email protected]> > wrote: > > These are all great points. But balance would argue that care for the > > environment should stem both from an appreciation of its utility as well > as > > from moral sensibilities. Indeed, there has been a long-standing debate > in > > philosophy on the utilitarianism vs. intrinsic rights as a basis for > > preserving nature. Granted, I haven't quite said where love fits into > this > > - but would offer that we can love something both because we recognize we > > need it, as well as just for itself. > > > > Heather Reynolds > > Associate Professor > > Department of Biology > > Jordan Hall 142 > > Indiana University > > 1001 E 3rd Street > > Bloomington IN 47405 > > > > Ph: (812) 855-0792 > > Fax: (812) 855-6705 > > [email protected] > > > > On Jan 6, 2009, at 10:39 AM, Jane Shevtsov wrote: > > > >> I don't know about parasitologists, but the mycologists I know are > >> more enthused about their subjects than any other group of biologists > >> I've met! "Loving" something in nature has, for many scientists, > >> nothing to do with conventional beauty. (Luckily for most of us, > >> something similar applies to human relationships.) My work is in basic > >> science, without immediate practical application, and I wouldn't be > >> doing it if I didn't love forests and food webs. > >> > >> However, I agree with your larger concern. While I'm all for getting > >> people to experience nature, it makes me cringe to hear people say > >> care for the environment depends on such experiences or love of > >> nature. Do you love your water main, the farms that grow your food, > >> penicillin? This is about life support, people! > >> > >> Jane Shevtsov > >> > >> On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 8:01 AM, William Silvert <[email protected]> > >> wrote: > >>> > >>> Although this sounds like a lovely book, I am not terribly comfortable > >>> with > >>> the concept, at least not in connetion with an ecology mailing list. > Part > >>> of > >>> our work as scientists is promoting a rational, rather than romantic, > >>> concern for our environment, and while some of us (like Ehrlich) may > have > >>> gotten involved with ecology because of an emotional attachment to > >>> beautiful > >>> creatures, many of us are having difficulty defending the role of the > >>> ugly > >>> and even disgusting organisms that are an essential part of ecosystems > >>> (such > >>> as detritivores). > >>> > >>> I am curious to know how many parasitologists and mycologists feel that > >>> their life's work was rooted in some "rapturous love affair" with > >>> tapeworms > >>> or mildew. Who ever fell in love with nematodes and polychaetes? > >>> (Although > >>> my late friend Peter Schwinghamer had a sign over his door saying > "Worms > >>> can > >>> teach us awe and wonder.") > >>> > >>> My concern has a practical side to it. There are seal species far more > at > >>> risk than harp seals, but mottled grey beasts with nasty teeth do not > >>> seem > >>> to attract the support of anti-sealing campaigners. It is hard to argue > >>> that > >>> the biodiversity of beautiful flowers in Costa Rica is more vital to > our > >>> survival than the worms crawling around in the mud of the North Sea, > but > >>> much of the emphasis on conservation of biodiversity focusses on > tropical > >>> hot spots rather than the low and dirty. > >>> > >>> I don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the beauty of the > natural > >>> enviornment, but I also want to remind the scientific community that > >>> ecology > >>> is not about beauty, it is about systems that often do not appeal to > our > >>> aesthetic sense. I like my work, but manage not to get too emotionally > >>> involved! > >>> > >>> Bill Silvert > >>> > >>> > >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jamie Reaser" > >>> <[email protected]> > >>> To: <[email protected]> > >>> Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 10:44 PM > >>> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] New Book for Nature Enthusiasts > >>> > >>> > >>>> Dear Nature Enthusiasts - > >>>> > >>>> Hiraeth Press and Ecos Systems Institute are please to announce the > >>>> publication of:Courting the Wild: Love Affairs with the Land, edited > by > >>>> Dr. Jamie K. Reaser and Ms. Susan Chernak McElroy. > >>>> > >>>> Do you remember the first time you fell in love? > >>>> > >>>> Within these pages will you find love stories, rapturous love affairs > >>>> with > >>>> the land, longings, shameless seductions, betrothals, vows exchanged, > >>>> marriages of the soul, heartaches, partings, healings, and renewals. > The > >>>> authors are the courters and the courted.Their landscape paramours > >>>> embrace > >>>> them and they grow forth from within. > >>>> > >>>> "A stirring book.filled with transcendent and highly personal moments > of > >>>> revelation, of awe, reverence, and love for nature.the profound truth > >>>> and > >>>> magic of becoming one with life on Earth. This book is for anyone > >>>> anywhere.from the camper's backpack to bedside tables." - Dr. Thomas > >>>> Lovejoy, President, The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, > Economics > >>>> and the Environment > >>>> > >>>> "Like many ecologists, I had a love affair with nature (especially > with > >>>> butterflies) long before I became a scientist. The love affairs > >>>> described > >>>> here will either tell you what I mean, or remind you of your own > affair. > >>>> Either way, you'll enjoy them." - Dr. Paul Ehrlich, co-author of the > >>>> Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment > >>>> > >>>> Available from: > >>>> - Hiraeth Press: www.hiraethpress.com > >>>> - www.amazon.com > >>>> > >>>> A limited number of signed copies are available, contact Dr. Jamie K. > >>>> Reaser at [email protected]. If you'd like to help promote the > book, > >>>> please e-mail Jamie for a flyer. > >>>> > >>> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> ------------- > >> Jane Shevtsov > >> Ecology Ph.D. student, University of Georgia > >> co-founder, <a href="http://www.worldbeyondborders.org";>World Beyond > >> Borders</a> > >> Check out my blog, <a > >> href="http://perceivingwholes.blogspot.com";>Perceiving Wholes</a> > >> > >> "Political power comes out of the look in people's eyes." --Kim > >> Stanley Robinson, _Blue Mars_ > > > > > > > > -- > ------------- > Jane Shevtsov > Ecology Ph.D. student, University of Georgia > co-founder, <a href="http://www.worldbeyondborders.org";>World Beyond > Borders</a> > Check out my blog, <a > href="http://perceivingwholes.blogspot.com";>Perceiving Wholes</a> > > "Political power comes out of the look in people's eyes." --Kim > Stanley Robinson, _Blue Mars_ > -- Better a cruel truth than a comfortable delusion.-Ed Abbey
