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John,
Here it is -=20
Paul.
On 2014-09-01, at 4:32 PM, John and Nhung wrote:
> I am interested. Is there a link?
> =20
> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca =
[mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of c p Ruggles
> Sent: August-31-14 2:59 PM
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Take a Moment for Reflection
> =20
> Hi all,
> Unfortunately, the Passenger Pigeon is only one of thousands of =
species that we have driven to extinction. Our problem is our ignorance =
of Ecology. I wrote an essay that appeared in The Chronicle Herald about =
our disregard for the realities of ecology. I can copy it for anyone =
that might be interested.
> Paul Ruggles.
> =20
> On 2014-08-31, at 12:19 PM, Laurie Murison wrote:
>=20
>=20
> =46rom Birds Studies Canada:
> =20
> You may want to pause for a minute of silence at 1 p.m. on Monday, =
September 1, the centennial of the moment when =93Martha=94 =96 the last =
Passenger Pigeon on the planet =96 quietly kicked the bucket at the =
Cincinnati Zoo. Many organizations are acknowledging what is arguably =
the world=92s most infamous extinction event, including the Royal =
Ontario Museum, the Canadian Museum of Nature, and the Smithsonian =
Institution.=20
> =20
> In case you missed it, please read =93One Hundred Years after Martha, =
the Last Passenger Pigeon=94 from the Summer issue of Bird Studies =
Canada=92s magazineBirdWatch Canada, written by our Director of National =
Programs Jon McCracken.
> =20
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<html><head><base href="x-msg://2/"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">John,<div>Here it is - </div></body></html>
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\b Ecology Essay
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\
\i "Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,\
Where wealth accumulates and men decay."\
\i0 \
Oliver Goldsmith's epic poem "The Deserted Village", written in 1770, captures the impact of environmental neglect by those who exploit the land with selfish disregard for the realities of ecology. \
\
Ecology is that branch of science that deals with the relations between living organisms and their environment. For the first two million years of human life on earth we lived at the mercy of ecology. We existed, as all animals do, in fear of predators, hunger, disease and the weather. But things got better after agriculture helped feed us, medicine helped heal us, and fossil fuels replaced slaves as a cheap source of energy. But we still have a problem with the weather. \
\
The problem comes from our addiction to the abundant and cheap energy derived from the burning of fossil fuels. When 250 million years' worth of stored carbon is released into the atmosphere during just 150 years, there are consequences. The climate heats up. If we don't do something about it, a radical change to many of the vital ecosystems that sustain our civilization is inevitable. \
\
The disparity between science, popular opinion and political action on the ecological effects of climate change is appalling. We are in denial that human beings have become a force of nature, altering properties of the biosphere on a geological scale. To doubt, today, that manmade climate change is happening, you must abandon science or admit that you just don't want to know such an inconvenient truth.\
\
So far we have avoided extinction - the fate of virtually all the animals and plants that once flourished on earth and from which present life has evolved. But we humans, like it or not, remain at the mercy of ecology. Our success as a species has had disastrous effects on many of the Earth\'92s ecosystems that could now lead to our downfall. So we find ourselves living in a relatively brief interlude between ecological compliance and ecological disaster. \
\
Before people started burning fossil fuels there were about 280 parts of CO2 per million in the atmosphere (280 ppm). Today the CO2 concentration is around 395 ppm. To control global warming, scientists tell us we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere to below 350 ppm. The only way we can do this is to reduce the use of fossil fuels.\
\
Today, apathy about climate change reflects a tragic indifference to the emerging ecological traumas of global warming. We must address the problem now, or live with the dreadful consequences. The ecological fact is our atmosphere is filling up with carbon dioxide, released by the burning of fossil fuels, trapping the sun\'92s heat and causing the temperature of our planet to rise. The result will be a radical change to many of the ecosystems that sustain our civilization.\
\
Scientists tell us that we are on the verge of an imminent, irreversible ecosystem collapse. Inaction will result in ecological tipping points that provide positive feedback to the ecosystem, thus accelerating global warming. When this occurs the ability to control climate change passes out of our hands.\
\
Parents often say that they would do anything for their children. How about saving their planet? Actually, the planet will survive the ecological impacts of global warming. Existing ecosystems will simply shift to accommodate new ecological realities. The real question is whether the Earth will be able to support the 9 billion humans who will soon be living on it. If we are to enjoy much of a future on the planet, major political decisions must be taken sooner, rather than later. Already it may be too late. \
\
We have never had to face anything like this before. This is not like war or a plague or a stock market crash. We are not equipped, historically and psychologically, to understand it, which is one of the reasons why so many refuse to accept that it's happening. \
\
Unless we address the ecological impacts associated with global warming now, we are condemning millions in the poorest parts of the world to the loss of their lives, livelihoods and homes. Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue. It is a looming human catastrophe. In the words of Thomas Carlyle more than a century ago, "if something be not done, something will do itself one day, and in a fashion that will please nobody." \
T