I’m not sure which political stance is more precarious: the know-nothings or the rationalists. Anti-science, that is the refusal to accept the findings of bona fide scientists, is a cornerstone of the leading Republican Presidential candidates. The debates among those vieing for the nomination have trashed evolution and climate science. The Democrats miss out on this early process, expecting to nominate Obama for another term. Obama epitomizes the cool, rational leader. The danger is that the problems we face are not tractable by either framing. The policies that would emerge from either are constrained by ideologies, although very different ones.… Read More
Continue ReadingOn the Merits of Fishing
Andrew Revkin has a couple of posts in his NYTimes blog that resonate strongly with me. Responding to an earlier [post](http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/the-role-of-values-in-driving-climate-disputes/) on the role of values in environmental debates, Revkin [posted](http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/on-outdoor-experience-and-environmental-values/) a part of a colloquy with Richard Louv, who writes about nature, pointing out the importance of direct experience in what Louv calls the “non-built” world, meaning nature to most of us. Louv highlights the disconnection from nature that children exhibit as a result of the lack of direct contact. As adults, the disconnect is exacerbated by the instrumental context so dominant in our modernist culture. Objects found in… Read More
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