Green Fire Review

I was thoroughly excited to view this film. Ever since it was first mentioned, I have made sure to keep the date open. However, upon viewing, I was quite disappointed, the film did not live up to what I had expected. The quote, from which the title was taken, was bastardized. Not once was it read in its entirety. Instead, small snippets were read on and off throughout the film. These snippets lacked the power of the original quote.

Additionally, many of the interview segments lacked anything of value. Tell me about the man, his legacy, etc, but don't let people of no importance speak of nothing more than who they perceive Aldo Leopold to have been.

Instead, I recommend that everyone watch The Greatest Good.

The Greatest Good is a film chronicling the history of the US Forest Service, and the many challenges it faced in its first 100 years. For a course based on policy, this is the perfect video. Throughout the film it is quite obvious how public sentiment has shaped policy, and how scientists are in a constant battle enact policy based on science, rather than the opinion of an ignorant populace.

The video may be found HERE

Is "The Lorax" Hope for the Future?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bHdzTUNw-4

Universal Studios has, just this past weekend, rolled out their new film based on a book by Dr. Seuss: The Lorax. For those who have spent their lives extremely sheltered, here is a summary of the plot: The planet has lost all of its trees to the progress of man. Streams are polluted and natural systems are in total disarray. A young man, wishing to see a tree, goes in search of one. While he never finds his tree, he does find the Lorax. The Lorax tells the boy of bygone days of flourishing forests, clean air, and clear streams. Upon the completion of the story, and judging the boy to be true in his intent to save the trees, the Lorax gives the boy a seed: the last tree seed in the world.

This sends my mind spinning in two directions. The first being, what a terrible place the world would be without its forests! What kind of people would do this? This question led to a realization that plenty of people would if it were financially lucrative. Unfortunately, many people currently inhabiting the planet lack a strong connection to the haunts of nature.

The second direction was: Will this movie change anything? I believe the answer is yes. The opinions of people are most malleable when they are young. Therefore, creating an animated movie which teaches a story of ethical land use could have major impacts on the future. Anything that encourages children to get outside and explore is positive for the planet, in my opinion.

Hopefully this movie successfully inspires future generations to fight for natural places. Without some change, I fear corporations will eventually run our natural resources into the ground.

Even if only a single individual is inspired, the implications could be enormous if fate leads that individual to a position of power. Just look how successful Roosevelt was in protecting our natural resources. Look at how much emphasis Ted Turner places on conservation. The moral of the story is: never underestimate the power of a highly motivated individual.

Chernobyl: Disaster or Salutary Lesson

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/radioactive-wolves/full-episode/7190/

Last year Nature aired an episode that thoroughly intrigued me. The program discussed how the meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant had impacted wildlife. Quite to the contrary of what might be expected, the accident seems to have benefited nearly every species present.

Background Information: On April 26, 1985 the Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffered a catastrophic meltdown. As a result, nearly 1100 square miles of land were be abandoned. Much of this area was once a vast wetland, but had since fallen to the progress of man in the form of dams, dikes, and irrigation canals. Farmland had been valued far above preservation of natural ecosystems.

With the total abandonment of these areas by humans, wildlife were allowed to reclaim the land. Wolves, once persecuted nearly to eradication, returned to rule the land. Beavers, bison, deer, peregrine falcons, white-tailed eagles, and many other species also began to flourish in the absence of humans. Inadvertently, the area around Chernobyl had become the worlds largest research site for what would happen if people were removed from the land, and the results were promising. Even with the constant exposure to radiation, wildlife populations were thriving.

What is yet more promising is the governments willingness to assist in the research. Native species, such as the horse and bison, were reintroduced in an effort to recreate natural species assemblages.

This research gives me hope for the future. Hope that much of the damage caused by humanity is reversible. Hope that we have not yet completely doomed the world's biodiversity. Hope that we can preserve all creatures, from the wolf down to the deer mouse, if only we can bring about an environmental revolution.

This past weekend, at the Southeastern Ecological and Evolution Conference, it was commonly stated that future conservation must be based on triage, thus letting many species (and ecosystems) slip away, only to be remembered in the history books. Chernobyl has taught us that, with significant change/effort, we can preserve more species than ever thought possible.

Wolves in the East!

Photo Credit: USFWS

120: The number of red wolves living in the wilds of eastern North Carolina.

200: The number of red wolves currently in the USFWS's captive breeding program. 

46: The number of pups born in the wild in 2011.

18: The number of wolves remaining when the USFWS intervened in the 1970's.

Wolves have begun to spread throughout five counties in eastern North Carolina.  As they spread, they are sure to encounter human populations. How will these individuals perceive wolves? Will they see them as no more of a threat than a coyote, or will they inspire a fear reminiscent of their western counterpart, Canus lupus? After such a long absence, can they restore balance to the ecosystem? Will interbreeding with coyotes lead to the end of genetically pure red wolves?

These are all valid points, and only time/research will reveal the answers.

I, for one, hope that people welcome these creatures back to the lands they once roamed. Will there be conflict? Sure, but the end more than justifies the means. You will hear me say this over and over, but there is nothing in this world worth protecting more than biodiversity. If a species can win the evolutionary battle, it should be allowed to live through the era of man, and into whatever may come next.

From what I can see, these creatures seem to be getting along with people quite well thus far. Seeing as how they are much smaller than their western relatives, they pose much less of a threat to cattle (thankfully).

It is my hope that red wolves will one day be a symbol of successful conservation, much like the bald eagle and eastern bluebird.

Drugs, Borders, and Protecting Ecosystems

 Photo Credit: National Park Service

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/fighting-drugs-border-violence-arizona-organ-pipe-cactus-132342614.html

The attached article speaks of the complications brought about in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument by drug runners who use the area on a daily basis. A wide array of issues are discussed, everything from armed guards escorting guests to the decline in visitors. However, what is not discussed is the impact on wildlife.

In an effort to stop the flow of drugs across the border, fences have been constructed throughout several portions of the park. Fences, of course, block the natural movements of wildlife. Therefore, these fences could potentially decrease the flow of genes between metapopulations. Fences, too, prevent the establishment/reestablishment of populations. Together, these factors reduce the ability of wildlife populations to overcome obstacles placed in their way, increasing the likelihood of localized extirpations/extinctions.

Drug runners have "made" dirt roads throughout the park, left garbage behind, and assuredly harassed wildlife (intentionally of unintentionally) at all hours of the day and night. With this much damage being done, the land needs management. Management that would have to be performed under the protection of armed guards. Realistically, how likely is this?

Along the border with Mexico, wildlife faces problems where fences are in position and they face challenges where they are not. Management, in this case, must begin with humans. The vast majority of what is crossing this section of the border is marijuana. Therefore, I say legalize it. To be fair, this statement is also supported by many of my other views, but this is further support (also let me note that I do not partake, it isn't my cup of tea). Legalizing would not only allow land managers to get in and do their jobs, it could help to prevent future degradation of the ecosystem caused by drug runners. Going "green" really can be green.

Hetch Hetchy: Now and Then

Photo Credit: Unknown

Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp

One of John Muir's most well documented battles was against the construction of the Hetch Hetchy dam in what today is Yosemite National Park. It was a battle that Muir fought in vain, with construction reaching completion in 1923. 

The first photo is prior to the construction of the Hetch Hetchy dam, the second photo was taken by several fellow technicians in the summer of 2011. Still beautiful, but only a shadow of what it once was. John Muir said that the valley was "one of nature's rarest and most precious mountain temples," and I must whole-heartedly agree.

A quick history lesson: The dam was constructed to supply potable water to San Francisco; a seaside city susceptible to prolonged dry summers. Muir, and environmentally conscious individuals across the country, fought the project until the bitter end, eventually losing out to "the progress of man." Today, Hetch Hetchy still provides water to San Francisco. However, dams further down the Toulumne River could be used to replace this water.

With construction reaching completion nearly a century ago, what does it have to do with current policy issues? Republican representative Dan Lungren, of California, has recently introduced legislation that would dismantle the dam, allowing the valley to return to its previous state. Several notable Democrats (i.e. Nancy Pelosi) have stood in opposition to Representative Lungren's proposal. As a self proclaimed liberal, I am ashamed of their stance. Their stance is one of ignorance.

What is the price of progress? What is the value of a pristine wetland? When will people decide that enough is enough?

To the dabbling duck, Hetch Hetchy is now a barren wasteland: too deep for the plants which provide it sustenance. We will never be able to entirely return Hetch Hetchy to its former beauty, it now possesses granite walls bleached as natural compounds leached out into the artificial lake's waters (among other issues). However, we can do our best to rectify the mistake made by previous generations. Drain the reservoir, remove the dam, and let nature do its best to overcome whatever obstacles man has left in its way.

Here is a pretty good video if you would like to know more about the Hetch Hetchy Valley, and the plan to restore it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-QLfeoWHPE

Literature Review for "The Beast in the Garden"

"Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail.  Without it, nothing can succeed."
-Abraham Lincoln


An absolutely phenomenal book. This text takes the approach of a crime solver novel. We start out with an unfortunate scene in which a young man is attacked and partially consumed by a mountain lion. Then, we go back to several years to when the problem first started as innocent mistakes by ignorant people. The community of Boulder, Colorado had chosen to allow deer populations to grow uncontrolled. During this time, cougars had yet to return to the area since they had been extirpated in the early 1900's by miners and settlers. Deer, being a favorite food of cougars, attracted cougars to the area, and led to burgeoning lion populations by the early 1990's.

In areas where humans and wildlife interact there is sure to be conflict, Colorado is no exception. I don't want to ruin the book so I won't summarize the plot any further. However, I must note that it is exceptionally easy to get sucked into this book.

The relevance of this book to our class arose from the human dimension of the problem. The author does an exceptional job of voicing how public opinion has shaped policy along Colorado's Front Range.

The book also chronicles the life of a wildlife biologist who foresaw the looming disaster, and tried to persuade the government and the people into taking healthy, science based preventative measures. This individual faces an uphill battle the entire way, which I find to be quite representative of our field. Regardless of how much evidence he has to back up his position, he cannot sway the voters, at least not until a human life is lost.

The final chapter provides an exceptional summary of the issue, recommendations for the future, and an educated guess as to what the future holds. Most notably is a prediction that cougars will one day spread east until they reach the Atlantic Coast. Their journey will potentially bring balance to deer populations of the east, but will also bring about a new age of human wildlife conflict: an age in which people must learn to live with animals that could consume them.

Without going further in-depth, I have a quote the gave me pause for thought: "Time does not run backward. We can bring the lions and wolves and bears back to America, and there are many good reasons to do so--ecological reasons, spiritual reasons--but these great animals will not restore a mythic past, cannot erase the need for human intervention."