One of the basic principles of environmental stewardship is that the people closest to a problem are likely to understand it best. Yes, there might be exceptions when experts from outside can come to understand it better, but what really happens in those instances is that the outsiders get up close. If they don’t, they won’t. […]
Why do Ranchers Grouse about Federal Regulations to Protect Sage Grouse? Learn More »
After citing a couple of Cornwall Alliance’s articles in discussion, an educator friend got this response from one of his former students: The problem with referencing the Cornwall Alliance to discredit statistics from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies is that one (the Cornwall Alliance) is a political advocacy organization with no scientific relevance while
Whom to Trust? NASA GISS, NASA, or Cornwall Alliance? Learn More »
M-44s are spring-loaded devices that eject powdered sodium cyanide to kill the animal that pulls it. They were designed for the purpose of controlling canine predators such as coyotes. Unlike other control devices which require the animal to push (e.g. footholds), M-44s require the animal to bite and pull. When the animal bites and pulls,
Canine Predator Control Devices: Should We Use them? Learn More »
As a child in a good elementary school in the small town of Owego, New York, in the early 1960s, I learned dozens of old folk songs. Among them was “Home on the Range,” which I, like many of my fellow students, loved to sing, feeling all romantic about life on the range—ridin’ your faithful
Where the Buffalo Roamed—and Roam Again Learn More »
So you think of science (or maybe I should say “science”?) as a solid, objective, trustworthy activity? Certainly a whole lot more credible than, say, philosophy, or theology, or fortune telling? Before I go on, let me assure you that I value science (without the scare quotes) a great deal. (Philosophy and theology, too—but not
Who Are the Real Science Deniers? Learn More »
Readers of my posts know that nature is dangerous. Radical environmentalists who constantly assert that humanity’s relationship with nature would be fine if we would just “work in harmony” is idealistic nonsense to those with jobs in the outdoors. Nature is safe when it is subjected to human service. Consider dogs, domesticated hundreds of years
Dogs—Mankind’s Best Friend? Learn More »
On May 29, 2016, a 3 or 4 year-old boy (sources differ on his age) was visiting the Cincinnati Zoo with his mother. As boys sometimes do, he got into trouble. In this case big trouble, life threatening trouble. He fell into the enclosure that housed a 450 pound male silverback gorilla named Harambe (for
A Gorilla, A Boy, and the Decline of Human Dignity Learn More »
In June of 2015, the Florida Fish and Game Commission approved the hunting of black bears. The hunt took place in late October. Stop the Bear Hunt, an anti-bear hunting protest industry group, provides 4 reasons why the Florida bear hunt is a bad idea. Let’s take a look at each one and see if
Stop the Bear Hunt? Learn More »
Something unusual is happening on Isle Royale. What’s to be done? Before we consider this, let’s consider another story. Let’s see what Mommy’s friends are up to. By “Mommy” I mean “Mother Nature.” Here’s the story as told by her friends: Mother Nature has a bunch of connected parts. They keep each other and every
The Quandary of the Usual Learn More »
As so often happens, eco-doomsters notice that one factor puts stress on some ecosystem, and they sound the alarm, but further study indicates that other factors balance out the stress. In this instance, researchers find that coral reefs aren’t so sensitive to water temperature changes as some global warming alarmists had claimed. Instead, they respond
Coral Reefs and Global Warming: Another Eco-disaster Dwindles Learn More »
