human activity speeding the decline of Earth’s biodiversity

 "Healing Earth is an environmental science e-textbook written by women and men who share this awe and concern for the natural world. We are an international group of scientists and humanists who imagine—and work for—a cleaner and healthier planet. We are delighted you are exploring Healing Earth and we invite you to join your hopes for a healthy planet with ours."

 A "second aim of Healing Earth is to help you think ethically as you study environmental science, to reflect on the major moral questions in each chapter topic from the standpoint of a coherent environmental ethic."

Here is the chapter on Biodiversity and Ethics:
https://healingearth.ijep.net/biodiversity/biodiversity-and-ethics

See the entire online resource at  https://healingearth.ijep.net/

 

Defending Biodiversity - new book

A challenging but powerful new book.

Review:

"Imagine that you are an environmentalist who passionately believes that it is wrong to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. How do you convince someone that a decision to drill is wrong? Debates about the environment and how humans ought to treat it have gone on for decades, yet arguments in favor of preserving biodiversity often lack empirical substance or are philosophically naïve, making them far less effective than they could be. This book critically examines arguments that are commonly offered in support of biodiversity conservation. The authors adopt a skeptical viewpoint to thoroughly test the strength of each argument and, by demonstrating how scientific evidence can be integrated with philosophical reasoning, they help environmentalists to better engage with public debate and judiciously inform public policy. " (from http://www.goreadabook.org/book/1295517889/defending-biodiversity )

How climate change is affecting trees

 How climate change is affecting trees, by exacerbating beetle infestations:

Please read (or listen to the audio) at https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2017/12/climate-change-makes-trees-vulnerable-to-pests/

plastics in the ocean: what and how

LCDR Eric Johnson, NOAA Corps. (Wikimedia Commons)

To try to understand all of the information about harmful amounts of plastics in the global water system, it's helpful to have some basic facts.

 Plastic and how it affects our oceans (ABC News)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-02-27/plastic-and-plastic-waste-explained/8301316
  




OCEAN PLASTICS POLLUTION - A Global Tragedy for Our Oceans and Sea Life - 

Center for Biological Diversity

 http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/

Microplastic in the Ocean
Scitable - A Collaborative Space for Education

https://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/saltwater-science/microplastic_in_the_ocean

 https://www.omicsonline.org/articles-images/pollution-and-effects-Schematic-drawing-showing-4-161-g004.png

gratitude (more than we thought)

David Steindl-Rast,at age 91, teaches us that gratitude is something more than appreciation: it is profoundly more.

"The one thing all humans have in common is that each of us wants to be happy, says David Steindl-Rast, a monk and interfaith scholar. And happiness, he suggests, is born from gratitude. An inspiring lesson in slowing down, looking where you’re going, and above all, being grateful."

 https://www.ted.com/talks/david_steindl_rast_want_to_be_happy_be_grateful