I Love Plants
Posted on July 9, 2008 - Filed Under Environment/Conservation | 2 Comments
It occurred to me today that I really like plants. Not only do they provide me with 99.999% of everything I eat (fungi making up the rest), but I also like looking at them, tending to them and planting them. There’s something altogether relaxing about their nature. So while I’m not going to start hugging [...]
So Long Bananas
Posted on June 23, 2008 - Filed Under Environment/Conservation | 1 Comment
According to this NYTimes piece they stand a pretty decent chance of going extinct in the next decade or so.
This has happened before. Our great-grandparents grew up eating not the Cavendish but the Gros Michel banana, a variety that everyone agreed was tastier. But starting in the early 1900s, banana plantations were invaded by a [...]
The Lilypad
Posted on June 22, 2008 - Filed Under Environment/Conservation, Video Games | Leave a Comment
This is one proposed design for floating cities that could have a role to play in countering or adapting to climate change. The cities are self-sufficient and movable, and are designed to house 50,000 people. Vincent Callebaut is the name of the fellow who came up the concept. I wonder if he ever played Final [...]
Obligations to Future Generations
Posted on June 13, 2008 - Filed Under College, Environment/Conservation, Philosophy | 2 Comments
What follows is a rather mangled essay that I lashed together in a hurry during the last semester. It seems vaguely related to other recent posts. All footnotes have been removed, so apologies in advance is this leads to any confusion. Please keep all “tl;dr” style comments to yourself.
“Those who have quitted the world and [...]
Alan Rabinowitz on the Colbert Report
Posted on June 12, 2008 - Filed Under Animals, Environment/Conservation, Politics | 4 Comments
This guy is awesome, and the work he does sounds awesome too. Instead of wasting money on fueling over-population in poor countries, the Irish government should give way more money to conservation projects like this guy’s. Last time I checked we had more than enough people on this planet…
His book on Amazon.
Beautiful Destruction in Chile
Posted on May 8, 2008 - Filed Under Environment/Conservation | Leave a Comment
If you’ve ever wanted to see a volcanic eruption at night accompanied by lightning, then today’s your lucky day. Highly recommended gallery.
Via Andrew Sullivan.
“Green Fascism”
Posted on April 23, 2008 - Filed Under Environment/Conservation, Political Philosophy, Politics | 1 Comment
Here’s an interesting post about green politics and over-population. I think the writer overreaches in describing a concern with overpopulation as “fascist”. As long as you don’t make racist recommendations as to who should be allowed have kids, then a basic proposal that fewer people would be conducive to a healthier planet does not sound [...]
In Vitro Meat
Posted on April 18, 2008 - Filed Under Animals, Environment/Conservation, Science, Stuff I Want | 4 Comments
No to blow my own trumpet, but I saw this coming about 5 years ago. Apart from the obvious ethical advantages inherent in not killing nice, peaceful cows, there are other benefits:
Rapidly evolving technology and increasing concern about the environmental impact of meat production are signs that vat-grown meat is moving from scientific curiosity to [...]
Animal Rights and Such
Posted on February 28, 2008 - Filed Under Animals, Environment/Conservation | 7 Comments
This is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. I can’t understand how someone could act like this. It’s really fucked up. Why is it that the West screams bloody murder when the Japanese launch whaling expeditions and then gives Canada a pass to kill 300,000 seals every year? What disgusting hypocrisy. Don’t eat [...]
Sea Lion Massacre in the Galapagos
Posted on January 29, 2008 - Filed Under Animals, Environment/Conservation | Leave a Comment
From the BBC:
Ecuadorean officials are investigating the slaughter of 53 sea lions from the Galapagos Islands nature reserve, which were found with their heads caved in.
The dead animals included 13 pups, 25 youngsters, nine males and six females.
Galapagos National Park official Victor Carrion told AFP news agency that each was killed by “a strong blow [...]
Panda Land
Posted on November 24, 2007 - Filed Under China, Environment/Conservation | Leave a Comment
James Fallows piece from the Atlantic website. (Subscription required).
Panda slideshow to accompany the above. (Free).
If I ever visit China again I’m definitely going to the Wolong Nature Reserve, or “Panda Land”, as Fallows’ slideshow refers to it.
Japanese Whaling
Posted on November 18, 2007 - Filed Under Environment/Conservation, Politics | Leave a Comment
For the first time in decades humpback whales are to be hunted, but that’s okay, claims that the Japanese government, because it’s all for “scientific research”. This bogus claim is of course to circumvent the 1986 ban on commercial whaling, which Japan has long been seeking to overturn with underhand tactics at the International Whaling [...]
Sun Bears Re-Classified as “Vulnerable”
Posted on November 12, 2007 - Filed Under Animals, Environment/Conservation | Leave a Comment
Too many people; not enough sun bears…
Green Populations under Negligent Governments
Posted on November 5, 2007 - Filed Under Environment/Conservation, Politics | 3 Comments
Essentially, most people support carbon taxes and other such measures in order to curb global warming, even though governments across the globe seem to take the view that their citizens are unwilling to go along with such measures. I hate to sound like a red on this green issue, but is this because of corporate [...]
No More Panda Diplomacy
Posted on September 15, 2007 - Filed Under China, Environment/Conservation | Leave a Comment
According to this post on the rather excellent Foreign Policy blog, China has decided to end its hitherto practice of donating giant pandas to curry favour with other governments. From now on, pandas will only be leaving China on ten-year leases, at a cost of $1 million a year to the fortunate host nation.
keep looking »
