Half the Earth for Wildlife

Here's a fascinating thought experiment: what if we set aside half the planet for wildlife?

It sounds like a pipe dream, too radical to consider seriously; humans, after all, have spread into every comfortable corner of the earth, and our population will only continue to rise. But the eminent biologist and conservationist E. O. Wilson believes that it's the best way to preserve biodiversity on this planet, and that it can be done:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-world-really-set-aside-half-planet-wildlife-180952379/

This would require, unsurprisingly, drastically reshaping the way we (as a species) consider the use of land and resources. Humanity has a fascination with the idea that we are the undisputed and rightful masters of the planet, that everything on this Earth is ours for the taking, consequences be damned. It's an incredibly shortsighted view, of course. From the first agricultural societies that learned to let certain fields lie fallow, to the English monarchs who decided to replant ship-worthy trees so that their heirs could build a navy to conquer half the world, to Theodore Roosevelt and his national parks, people have always recognized the value of safeguarding natural resources for future use and enjoyment.

E. O. Wilson's idea is really just taking the concept of a national park to a new level, albeit with judicious application of eminent domain and large-scale zoning laws. It wouldn't be the first time a government relocated groups of people in order to facilitate a greater national good, and this would be a much better cause than some of the previous incidences could claim. (I'm tempted to make some joke about flyover country, here.)

Even though the concept seems, in human terms, to be just a very large national park, its effect on our ecosystems is exponentially greater than that of our extant national parks. One mustn't underestimate the positive effects that uninterrupted migratory patterns would have on bolstering animal populations, especially those that are more sensitive to seasonal changes (and therefore more likely to be endangered in the first place). This scheme would revert, to the extent possible, a swath of land to its "original" state, before humanity molded it to suit our civilizations -- the state of nature, optimized for a balanced ecosphere. For all that we have done to alter the environment, that it would be possible to rectify the greater part of the damage we've caused in these parts, is itself no small feat.

We have reached a juncture after which the biodiversity of the planet will become increasingly more difficult to retain and salvage. Though Wilson's proposal is drastic, it is still, without a great stretch of the imagination, within our grasp. Some things are worth the cost -- surely the Earth is among them.

The People's Climate March, a Recap

Over the weekend, I went to the People's Climate March. I went alone, one of more than 300,000 people who attended the New York City event (similar marches were staged in cities around the world), and was warmly welcomed by perfect strangers, from climate scientists to concerned parents pushing baby strollers. There was universally an acknowledgement of solidarity, of common and overarching cause. There was a determination that the United Nations should hear us, on the weekend of the Climate Summit.

The March spanned more than fifty blocks on Manhattan's West Side, from 86th Street down to 34th Street. I joined about halfway through, having rushed across the river from the Brooklyn Book Festival, which was unfortunately on the same day. I tried to document what I could; my batteries gave out partway through...

I took this photo from just outside the barricade; it gives a good sense of the density of marchers along the route.

Marchers flocked to New York from colleges and universities throughout the Northeast, bringing handmade signs, slick printed banners, and matching t-shirts. (You know it's a real campus group when it has special t-shirts!)

There were also members of a diverse array of disproportionately-impacted communities, from indigenous populations to farmers to anyone who happened to live in a low-lying coastal region, included most Hurricane Sandy victims in the tri-state area (an unsurprisingly well-represented group).

Activists of all ages carried signs and slogans, and looked pretty happy to be here. It wasn't just young, idealistic college students!

These marchers, though, look like young, idealistic college students... The "fill-in-the-blank" signs were handed out to marchers at the beginning of the day. There was a wonderful diversity of answers, from the indisputably factual to the unflinchingly personal.

There were some interesting pieces of green technology along for the ride. I was especially taken with this tiny solar-powered vehicle, which reminded me of a cross between a VW Beetle and a golf cart. (It was moving at slow enough speeds that children could clamber on.)

I fell in with a group of scientists, some of whom had come all the way from the U.K. to participate in the march. They had an incredible prop: an enormous rolling blackboard covered in real data. The evidence was clear, from more than ten feet away!

And of course, the scientists came prepared with clever exoplanet jokes.

This photo was taken towards the end of the march, as the afternoon was just giving way to early evening. As the lighting is lacking, the signs read "Tuvalu," "Save the Arctic," and "Stop the tar sands at the source." This was indeed the delegation representing the tiny Pacific archipelago of Tuvalu, which is in danger of being submerged by rising sea levels. Some of them probably came a very long way to be heard in front of the United Nations.

As for the media round-up, my favorite pieces about the March:

• The New Yorker ran an excellent article about the event, as well as a interview with the environmentalist and scholar Bill McKibben, one of the primary organizers of the March.
• The New York Times also covered the March, including audiovisual material that gives a great sense of the numbers and diversity of the marchers. A follow-up article provided deeper analysis of the economics behind climate change mitigation.

The U.N. appears to have gotten the message -- but it remains to be seen in the months and years ahead how seriously its member states take their new vows on climate action. It will require intricate policy and sustained initiative to see them through the vagaries of politics, of course. But no country can claim that its citizens do not care or will not be affected by climate change.

The Economist: On Pollution, China is Better and Worse Than We Think

I'm reading Jared Diamond's excellent book Collapse (you know it's important when it has its own Wikipedia page!), which devotes a whole section to the real sociopolitical dangers modern China faces as a result of environmental fragility and degradation. I rather serendipitously happened upon this article in The Economist, which discusses developments therein (both good and bad) since Collapse was published in 2005:

http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21583245-china-worlds-worst-polluter-largest-investor-green-energy-its-rise-will-have

I subsequently ended up thinking a lot about the subject, so I thought I'd muse about it in prose. (Sometimes -- very occasionally -- I miss writing essays for college history classes...) This post is rather long, so I've put it below the cut:

The Economist: Piero della Francesca at the Frick

I saw this article about the Piero della Francesca exhibition at the Frick, and went to see it over the weekend:

http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21571857-introducing-early-renaissance-master-american-audiences-divine-splendour

The show is well worth seeing, though I admit to being somewhat biased because I'm a fan of the Frick. It's one of those small, very specifically curated museums that a visitor can see in its entirety in just a few hours. It's worth visiting more than once if you live in New York, though -- there are always a few special installations (often pieces on loan from other countries, such as the above) -- and it's the sort of place one visits to soak in the ambiance. It has this beautiful central courtyard vaguely reminiscent of the villas of Classical Rome (covered, though), and a few surprisingly well-known works, including some lesser-known works of rather famous artists.

Anyhow, the Piero della Francesca exhibit. If you're at all interested in Renaissance art history, and you're in the City, go see it.

Washington Post: Ospreys Nest on a D.C. Crane, Halting Construction

An inspiring tale of government bureaucracy pulling together to save endangered animals:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ospreys-nest-on-a-dc-crane-halting-construction/2011/05/07/AFQeSMKG_gallery.html#photo=1

Sometimes it's the little things for which it's necessary to move mountains.

NYTimes: Wildlife Overpasses

A creative solution to the inevitable problems of encroaching upon wildlife territory:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/science/earth/24overpass.html?hpw

Obviously, it would be impractical to just remove hundreds of miles of road -- not to mention that the populace would never go for it. This is a good and quite innovative way to minimize the impacts of said roads on the (often sensitive) wildlife that populate the areas they traverse, without significantly inconveniencing the humans using the roads -- which is one of the major bottlenecks in implementing most environmental protections. Humans are often selfish, and are reluctant to be inconvenienced in the name of even the best of causes if it does not tangibly benefit us. (This brings to mind the days of Econ 101...)

Washington Post: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

This is a beautiful set of pictures of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. It's a major pit stop along the Atlantic Flyway, and it's in Maryland, and I would dearly love to go see it one day. The photographs are spectacular:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/conversations/blackwater-national-wildlife-refuge/2011/03/11/ABNme9Q_gallery.html

Enjoy!

The Onion: Paranoid Duck Convinced CIA Killing Off U.S. Bird Population

The Onion is great:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/paranoid-duck-convinced-cia-killing-off-us-bird-po,18953/?utm_source=recentnews

And the duck is cute!

BBC: Tiger Team Marks Twenty Years of Conflict Resolution

One of the biggest problems facing wildlife conservationists today is human-predator conflict -- not the one-sided conflict between poachers and game, but rather that of ordinary villagers faced with large carnivores that venture ever-deeper into human territory, because they have nowhere else to go, by virtue of the destruction of their natural habitats and human encroachment onto their natural lands. Often, such stand-offs result in aggressive measures on the part of the human villagers, including resurgence of poaching in areas that would otherwise not engage in such activities.

This Russian Tiger Response Team reduces the instances of aggressive retaliation by giving villages recourse -- they deal with tigers in a humane, safe, and effective way -- and have been doing so for twenty years:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9313000/9313098.stm

It's heartening to see. 

NYTimes: Pompeii -- Archaeologists' Dream, Conservationists' Failure

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming:

This is scary. Really scary. For a historian and a (lapsed) Latin student, and an avid museum-goer, the idea of such artifacts, such a goldmine of Roman archaeology, being destroyed simply because of human incompetence and negligence, is a travesty:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/another-collapse-at-pompeii-renews-calls-for-better-care

I want to go to Pompeii sometime. I've never been, and I hope that by the time the opportunity arises, it won't be too late.

MSNBC: New Species from New Guinea

And this is why conservation matters:

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/10/05/5235675-new-species-from-new-guinea?GT1=43001

 I especially like the "bug with bugged-out pink eyes". It's actually kind of pretty, in a bright, insectoid sort of way.

Today is World Animal Day, and the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi

It's pretty self-explanatory: it's basically a day to spread awareness of conservation efforts and animal rights, observed by a variety of organizations (such as animal shelters, wildlife conservation groups, schools, churches, &c.) as well as individuals from all walks of life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Animal_Day

Interestingly enough, it is no coincidence that today is also the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, the much-beloved Italian monk who founded the monastic order that bears his name, and who is the patron saint of animals, nature, and the environment at large. He's another of my favorite saints; I tend to prefer the ones, I find, who did great and charitable works out of compassion and love, rather than merely being martyred for their conviction in their faith. (The exception would be saints who had particularly witty last words; see St. Lawrence.)

BBC: Churchill's Butterfly Garden, 70 Years in the Making

This is a must-see, if you're ever in Britain (Kent, specifically):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11025174

From the picture accompanying this article, the estate looks beautiful. Butterfly conservation is increasingly important in industrialized nations, and such a conservatory (with such an illustrious patron) can only aid efforts therein.

It's interesting how famous (and infamous) leaders often had such incongruous hobbies; aside from Churchill, the Emperor Hirohito would have preferred to be a marine biologist rather than an emperor (and was especially saddened by his ejection from the Royal Society), Nero famously played the harp (fiddles weren't invented yet), Henry VIII was a composer of some talent, and Marcus Aurelius is better remembered for his philosophical writings than for his statecraft.

Obama plays basketball, I hear.

NYTimes: Purple Martins, a Hobby

Taking birdhouses to an extreme:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/garden/12purple.html?hpw

It sounds like a wonderful way to enjoy nature and contribute to conservation. Not to mention that purple martins are quite pretty.

Al Jazeera: Nations Back UN Biodiversity Panel

This is last month's news (I'm a little behind in terms of posting), but still noteworthy:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/06/201061413183923975.html

It's a step forward on endangered species protections. I don't think it'll be the harbinger of biological justice that some people tout it as, of course, but I don't think it'll be quite the disappointment that, say, the League of Nations was. It's more of a symbolic victory in that the international community is finally recognizing the need for global protections and legislation, rather than the regional efforts that have been occurring thus far.

Let's see where it takes us. Fingers crossed.

BBC: Butterflies!

I've always had a weak spot for butterflies. I used to sketch them, at the Museum of Natural History (They had a butterfly conservatory exhibit a year or two ago, and it was glorious.), and out of books. I had put that aside for a while, but this makes me nostalgic for sketching at museums. (I wonder whom I might rope into accompanying me this summer?)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8730000/8730259.stm

The Morpho anaxibia's blues are absolutely breathtaking, and the Cithareas are just exquisite. Any favorites?

Meet the Sloths

Beings of unbearable cuteness, being cute:



From pinktreefrog.typepad.com; filmed at the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica. My thanks to Brett for bringing it to my attention.

Al Jazeera: Australia Takes Japan to Court for Whaling

Finally, after decades of NGOs and independent activists trying to stop whaling by Japanese fishermen and "researchers", some government is finally taking action. Huzzah, Australia!

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/05/20105285365350724.html

Hopefully, the International Court of Justice will accomplish what thousands of activists have tried so hard to do. Stay tuned.

BBC: Waterlily Saved from Extinction

And the world's smallest waterlily, too, so it's extra special (though every species brought back from the brink of extinction is a miracle in and of itself):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10124250.stm

I care quite a lot, if you haven't noticed, about the environment and the other species with whom we share this green Earth. Stories like this one make me very, very happy.

NYTimes: The Elgin Marbles, a Test Case for Antiquities Repatriation

This is personally interesting to me because the Metropolitan Museum of Art was a formative part of my middle and high school years. I knew the Met well enough, at one point, that I didn't need a map to navigate it (being in California nine months of the year has eroded my abilities thereto).

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/arts/09abroad.html

It's in part an issue of cultural identity. If the modern state can unequivocally lay claim to a certain cultural inheritance, methinks, then it has extremely valid cause. If it cannot show that it is the only logical heir to a particular classical or historical society (this is generally rather rare, as most cultures, if not political or social entities, have been fairly consistent through the centuries), then others with equal claim, and even those representing the interests of the greater scholarly or artistic community, often claim a physical right to said objets d'art. It's particularly interesting because Classical Greece has spawned so many heirs of the mind; practically all of Western Europe, and the Western world at large, can trace its philosophical and cultural roots to Greco-Roman thinkers.

There is also the question of integrity of historical sites. Of course, no one should go and take apart a centuries-old facade and ship the various pieces off to museums around the world (as much as that happened in the past, and on a smaller scale, continues to happen today). But should a monument that is falling apart be restored on its original site, or should the pieces be distributed to museums (especially pertinent if the originating state does not have the technology or resources to restore the monument, and foreign teams end up taking over the project, often with the intention of appropriating some of the artifacts for their own countries)? Does physical proximity to the historical site add significant value?

There are loads more questions to be asked and answered. Discuss (yes, I read and respond to comments).