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Communicating the Environment: Lectures, Reports, and Media Resources The critical role of science Environmental science has provided governmental agencies, businesses, corporations, and private landowners with a vast body of knowledge concerning how humans can more sustainably utilize the earth’s natural ecosystems to maintain a comfortable standard of living. “Sustainable” refers to the ability of human societies to meet their needs and allow for economic development while still conserving, for use by future generations, both (1) the earth’s biological diversity and supporting ecological processes (such as nutrient, fire, and flood cycles), and (2) the components of economy and quality-of-life that require natural resources, both for extractive purposes (such as fertile soils for crops and livestock forage, multiple age classes of trees for different grades of lumber, and healthy fisheries), and quality-of-life purposes (such as clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and wildlands for outdoor recreation, hunting, fishing, and spiritual rejuvenation). The science-policy gap Tragically, far too little of the work of environmental scientists is effectively utilized by governments, corporations, and private entities to ensure that our environmental policies and management decisions are sustainable. Short-term economic considerations that are often one-sided in that they consider mainly the extractive value of a resource (e.g., using the example of a forest, its lumber value), rather than the entire value of a resource (e.g., considers not only the lumber value of that forest, but also its additional values as an agent of (1) rainwater uptake that buffers downstream homes and businesses against floods; a value that could be quantified by calculating the economic value of homes and businesses located within a floodplain downstream from a logging operation; (2) soil stabilization that protects down-slope homes and businesses from mudslides, and (3) water filtration that is critical to drinking water quality) continue to predominate. The consequences (imagine it was medical science!) As a result, the same poor logging practices that cause species endangerment and biodiversity loss also continue to destabilize steep slopes and cause fatal landslides that destroy homes, businesses, and salmon and trout spawning beds, harming homeowners, businesses, insurance companies, and the fishing industry alike. Air pollution continues to cause and exacerbate asthma and other public health problems, costing businesses sick pay, reducing worker productivity, and sickening our children, as well as causing physical damage to trees in forests and tree farms. Water pollution sickens untold numbers of people, fish, and wildlife, and contaminates the very fisheries that humans depend on to stock supermarket shelves. Poor agricultural and livestock grazing practices cause invasions by noxious weeds, deplete topsoils, and contaminate soils, fisheries, and municipal water supplies with toxic pesticides, costing taxpayers, landowners, and agencies $$billions in weed control and restoration treatments, as well as in treatment of resulting impacts to public health, such as cancer and infertility. Positive changes on the horizon Fortunately, environmentally harmful land use and business practices are no longer simply justifiable by using the old excuse that “it is nice to do what is better for the environment, but it is just too expensive.” Just as we once thought the earth to be flat, that short-sighted paradigm appears to be on its way out, albeit slowly. A growing body of scientific evidence is demonstrating how a healthy environment is critical to not only the persistence of the earth’s breathtaking biological diversity and natural wonders, but also to our very economic well being and quality-of-life (see panel at right for examples). Sadly, however, aside from a few encouraging efforts to publicize this body of knowledge, it remains known mainly to environmental experts, and has yet to make its way into the minds of mainstream decisionmakers and the voting public. The paradigm shift badly needs a push out of the Ivory Tower and into the public spotlight. URSOS seeks to do just that. We recognize that in an increasingly capitalistic world, it is critical to communicate benefits of maintaining a healthy environment to the capitalistic mindset. The “choir” (those for whom biodiversity, aesthetic, and spiritual concerns for the Earth motivate their belief in environmental protection), is already convinced. It is now time to step up persuasive efforts on the “non-choir”, those for whom a different rationale and type of information is needed to convince them of the importance of maintaining a healthy environment.
"Landscape structure, biotic resistance, and invasional meltdown: an experimental study of yellow starthistle." Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Portland, OR. Aug. 3, 2004. “The
world in which you will raise your families: environmental threats,
uncertainties, and hope at home and abroad.” Presented to sixth
grade student body, Great Neck South Middle School, Great Neck, NY April,
1997. (Presented to entire school, May 1998 per invitation from assistant
principal, presented to UC Davis Hillel House Jewish Center, April,
2000). Non-Scientific and Scientific Summaries & Reports URSOS authors reports that summarize or comprehensively review the current state of scientific knowledge for any audience, be it grade school, high school, undergraduate, professional, business, scientific, or environmental. Read a
recent article from the American Museum of Natural History that
we helped the author research and edit.
A key goal of Conservation Value is to increase public awareness of and access to "green" products and services, sustainable business and land management practices, and incentive programs that make sustainable practices and purchases both affordable and money saving. We also aim to help improve mass media coverage of the benefits of ecology and sustainability. To
donate to this 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, please visit www.conservationvalue.org |
Photo Gallery Another
article: American
Museum of Natural History: Species and Sprawl - A Road Runs Through
It, 2/2005 |
