The nutrient and calorie density of the red palm fruit makes it a true wonder of Nature. Of the innumerable contributions of Nature to people, the oil palm stands out for it’s power. This power is exemplified by the cultural and religious importance given to this tree (and more specifically its fruit and seed), in …
Tag Archives: conservation
Communal conservation
A return to The Commons is in order, but on a different scale and with more focus than ever before. The Commons is defined as the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, and which are not owned privately. This vast definition encompasses all kinds of tangible and intangible assets throughout …
Forest Community
Community management of natural landscapes is our best and maybe only hope. Community and culture have thrived in the days and territories where humans have taken their livelihoods directly from their environments. We seem to do very well without the complex markets, commercial trade routes and value added commodification that our current technology allows for, …
The Pristine Illusion
Conservationist are set on the idea that to preserve nature is to remove humans form the equation and leave habitats alone. But is this even possible in today’s world? And has it ever been that way? It seems that in every corner of the globe, animals not only inhabit an ecosystem, but shape it and …
Black Gold Negative: The value of Carbon in landscape
The above graphic shows implemented or scheduled carbon tax and emission trading schemes worldwide. Source: World Bank (“State and Trends of Carbon Pricing, 2016”). It is immediately obvious that more developed and industrialized nations, the ones that pollute the most, also have made the most progress in implementing carbon tax regulations. This is hopeful sign, …
Continue reading “Black Gold Negative: The value of Carbon in landscape”
We are Forest
Why do we feel a deep sense of calm when we spend time in a mature forest? Brain science is confirming that Nature is a strong medicine against depression and anxiety, but how have we drifted so far from our natural habitat? What has driven us to destroy it and live in an unhealthy and …
Opportunities in connectivity
Connectivity is simply defined as the state of being connected, and these days we often think about it in terms of information and communication. In conservation biology, connectivity is thought of as the ability for the organic and non-organic features of an ecosystem to be linked from one location to another. Obvious examples are wildlife …
Capitalist conundrum.
Can free markets safely manage and regulate our environment and natural resources? As a society we are pretty solidly sold on the idea that capitalism is the most – or even the only – viable and fair system under which we can organize our affairs. This idea is defended tooth and nail, and has become …
Quantifying the intangible
The problem with subtleties is that most people miss them. Can we accurately measure and place an economic value on ecosystem services, or Nature’s contributions to people? Will it ever be possible for mechanisms like carbon taxing or the United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD), actually represent the true …
A Day at the Zoo
Yesterday I had the good fortune of being a fly on the wall during the second day of meetings and presentations of a regional committee for International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), held at the Conservation Pavilion of the National Zoo in Washington, DC. The IUCN is the largest umbrella organization for conservation groups …
Integrative Eco Social Design 