Farewell to an imperfect genius

Before I turn my attention to the aftermath of the elections and the environmental policy road ahead, I need to say a few words in the wake of the passing of sci-fi author Michael Crichton. Dr. Crichton's books are some of my favorite works of contemporary fiction. He wrote a type of science fiction that was distinct from the Star Wars/Trek mode of robots and aliens and spaceships and lasers. Crichton's sci-fi takes place in the here and now, and is built upon current scientific knowledge. His work is in the tradition of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, and reading Crichton made me go back and re-discover those earlier sci-fi masters. He studied an area of science, understood the state of the game, and then made some leap or tweak to what we know or what is possible in order to craft a tale beyond the realm of the possible (or at least beyond the realm of the probable). His books are each about some scientific discipline: Jurassic Park is not about dinosaurs, it's about genetic engineering and cloning. The Lost World is also not about dinosaurs either, it's about community ecology. Unfortunately, the movie adaptations of his books rarely did justice to them (JP is a notable exception). That his main characters are generally ordinary scientists who become heroes by finding themselves in extraordinary circumstances is an element that certainly resonates with me: It fed my longstanding dream of being Indiana Jones!



Of course, Dr. Crichton's last years were defined less by his creative work and more by the role he adopted as a critic of global climate change. State of Fear, his second to last book, tells a tale of a plot hatched by environmentalists desperate to prove the veracity of human-induced climate change in order to reap the financial and political gains that come with a crisis connected to their issue. As a work of fiction, this is an intriguing and potentially interesting concept, and one I might have even picked up despite the implicit indictment of people in my line of work. After all, it's a story, and I can stomach being made into a villain for storytelling purposes. The problem, however, was that Crichton didn't stop there. He accompanied the novel with a manifesto of sorts decrying the predominate theory of anthropogenic climate change. And he then began a speaking crusade that included a series of lectures on the topic and, most significantly, testimony before the U.S. Congress. Given that manifesto and his activism, it became clear that the book was not simply a story, perhaps with a message or perhaps simply a test to see how seriously environmentalists take themselves and whether they can cope with being fictional villains. Rather, the book was part of, indeed the launch of, a propaganda campaign.



Now, I am not opposed to famous people using their celebrity to speak on public policy issues. After all, in a democracy, we all have the right to express our views, and we should all take advantage of any opportunity afforded us to voice our ideas and opinions. The fact that those opportunities are presented disproportionately to the famous is not their fault (in fact, it is the fault of the rest of us), and they should not willingly avoid the platform presented. In a nation of 300 million people with a complex chorus of perspectives, anyone should seize any chance to be heard.



Nor is my grievance with Dr. Crichton's climate change campaign his use of his art to convey his message. This is what artists have done throughout time. For example, Bob Dylan, on the left, and Charlie Daniels, on the right, have sung songs that convey their critiques of American politics. At the moment, I am working my way through the Genesis of Shannara trilogy of novels by fantasy writer Terry Brooks. Terry and his wife Judine have become friends of mine, and I know that he is an avowed environmentalist. The Genesis books are set in a post-apocalyptic world brought about by war, disease and rampant environmental degradation. There is an unmistakable political message in the books, and if asked in front of a camera or microphone I have no doubt that Terry would very clearly make his views known on what we need to do differently.



The difference, however, is that Terry speaks directly and through his work as an advocate, but not as a specialist. He speaks as a citizen with a point of view that is worth hearing. Crichton, on the other hand, crossed a line from advocacy to technical advisor. He used his fame and credentials to speak as a technical expert. The problem is that he is not a technical expert. His background is in medicine and genetics, not in meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, oceanography, ecosystem ecology, or any of the other disciplines at the core of understanding global climate change and its consequences. Dr. Crichton had a remarkable ability to learn the state-of-the-game in a scientific discipline, to a point where he could craft mesmerizing tales of adventure with a believability stemming from his homework on the core subjects. But learning a discipline well enough to write a plausible sci-fi novel does not make one an expert on the subject. That requires years of study and research, of probing the inner workings of a system (the global climate, a coral reef, the human body...whatever), understanding as much as possible how it works, identifying where the key uncertainties lie, and working to answer those questions, all the while continuing to revisit and challenge the working paradigm. When it came to climate change, Dr. Crichton did not have those bona fides. But somewhere along the line, Dr. Crichton either willingly adopted the guise of climate change specialist or fooled himself into thinking he was an expert, and subsequently set out into the policy arena as an expert in sheep's clothing.



I have now written one paragraph celebrating Dr. Crichton's craft and the joy it brought me, and several more criticizing his work against action on climate change. I feel somewhat badly about that, and do not want to belabor the point. But I feel it is an important illustration of the difference between being a citizen with a view and a voice versus acting as an uncredentialed technical expert, and a caution against others trying to blur that line. Ultimately, however, I want to thank Dr. Crichton for (most of) the body of work he left behind and the hours of joy his tales have brought me.

Three things

It's been just shy of 5 months since my "Happy Oceans Day!" post. I believe that's a new record for a gap in posting by the staff at Running On. But I have to say it feels good to see the old Blogger window again, and to have words flowing from my finger tips, through the keyboard, across cyberspace, and into all of your hearts and minds.

What finally precipitated my logging back into the control center of everyone's favorite blog and (once again) trying to build some momentum? Well, there are three things:

Firstly, while walking through Boston's Public Gardens this past Saturday, I had the pleasure of watching two red-tailed hawks perched amidst the autumn foliage, flying from tree to tree, and occasionally eyeing with intent squirrels foraging out on the open lawns. They seemed relatively unconcerned with the human passersby, and would perch and fly fairly low, affording fantastic views of these beautiful birds. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see them catch any of the smaller park residents, but they were a joy to watch nonetheless. Of course, my *&%#$@ camera died earlier this summer after a horribly misnamed "dry bag" allowed it to be inundated with seawater while kayaking in Santa Barbara (the final shot, of my colleague Scott on the tail end of nicely ridden wave, taken by that fine camera is situated above). But it was still a nice treat.

Secondly, later that same day, I picked up a copy of Boston's Weekly Dig and came across a little article therein, the contents of which I had to share. It seems that a company called Holistic Wisdom is producing - how to put this? - adult paraphernalia that is environmentally sustainable. As someone who has made his life's work the pursuit of greater balance between our species and the rest of the natural world (for the benefit of both, as discussed in the first ever RO post), I for one am thrilled to see the greening of the sex toy industry. Moreover, I am pleased to see that the emergence of a company like Holistic Wisdom is due in part to the work and advocacy of a non-profit organization, the Coalition Against Toxic Toys, or CATT. You may recall that in my February 1 post announcing the official Running On endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President, I cited as an important reason for my support of Senator Obama his call to arms for greater civic engagement by all of us, to not simply rely on the government to change the world but to get out and do it ourselves. I then went on to discuss how non-profit organizations are the ultimate embodiment of civic engagement, making it a full-time endeavor for their staff (regardless of whether an organization's aims are noble or nefarious). To see an organization like CATT bring about the sort of social change seen in a company like Holistic Wisdom is truly inspiring.

Speaking of the RO endorsement, the third thing bringing me back to the blogosphere is a little thing happening tomorrow in which the good people of the U.S. of A. head out to select a new leader. I'll have some thoughts on the winner of the Presidential election to be sure, but I also want to address a backlog of links I've been compiling on the environmental record of George W. Bush, and perhaps more importantly looking ahead at what might await us in his final months in office. Stay tuned...

Happy World Oceans Day!

Today, June 8, is World Oceans Day, so I thought I should post at least a little something (even if it will likely be my shortest post yet). And this seemed fitting, given the international scope of the story: The UN has apparently been reading Running On! Check my "Bad Idea" post of November 13, 2007 and then check the recent UN agreement to implement a global moratorium on ocean fertilization. As will be evident from the 11/17/2007 post, clearly I think this moratorium is a good idea.

Coincidentally, I was at the UN not long after this agreement was signed to give a seminar on a new report on management of the coastal ocean. Rest assured, once the final report is posted online, I'll provide the link...

Upheaval

Once again, a lengthy spell has fallen between my last post and this one. I'm sure the loyal readership of Running On has learned on their own, with no help from yours truly, that the crew of Le Ponant was released about a week after their capture. The company that owns the ship paid a ransom, the pirates released the crew, and French commandos then pursued the pirates, capturing six and recovering half of the ransom. The circumstances along the coast of Africa that have spawned this scourge of piracy are sad, largely overlooked, and in need of much greater attention. But I take comfort in knowing that in at least this one instance, the stand-off was resolved with no harm to the hostages. I hope the crew are all recovering and enjoying being back home with their families.

Speaking of families, my own life experienced a bit of turmoil last month when my dad suffered heart problems and had to be rushed to the hospital. That happened the day after the release of the crew of Le Ponant. So, I went from relief to worry in a matter of hours. However, I am pleased to report that Dad has been back home for about a month, and seems to be recovering nicely.

Dad's homecoming took place just in time for me to begin the disruptive and unsettling process of moving. Caz and I loaded up a U-Haul (well, he really didn't help much) and left New York City, to return next as visitors and not residents. The next day, we parked on Charles Street in Boston, right in front of Gary Drug in Beacon Hill, and carried boxes and bags and other junk up to my sunny new studio (again, Caz contributed very little), officially becoming Boston residents. Leaving New York is not easy, since there's really no place quite like it in the world. But I'm really digging Boston, and coming here has softened the blow of the departure.

I'm sure the faithful who are reading this are asking, "What the hell is this? We come here for pearls of wisdom about nature and environmentalism, not the ins and outs of your personal life!" Fair enough, but these things have really had me preoccupied the past few weeks, and the time, energy and focus to write something more insightful have been lacking. But, things are settling down, and - I swear! - something more deep and meaningful is on the way...

In fact, amidst the personal chaos created by Dad's health and the move to Boston, I've encountered some fairly chaotic events in the larger world that are relevant to the themes of this blog. Firstly, I finally got around to watching the "Battle at Kruger," which has now been watched by 32 million people on YouTube. And I have to say: Whoa. Water buffaloes, lions and even a whopper of a crocodile thrown in for good measure, all acting out some of the most fascinating predator-prey dynamics you're likely to see. With jaw on the floor, I watched and thought what beautiful chaos was unfolding before me.

From the African savannah to hallowed halls of the White House, President George W. Bush has apparently decided he is not going to be outdone by a bunch of mangy buffalo, and is looking to steal some of the ecological spotlight for himself. NPR is reporting that the Administration is poised to launch the largest, most ambitious marine conservation initiative in U.S. history. The paradox of the most anti-science, anti-environment President of all time launching such a transformative effort is enough to make the head spin...kind of like watching a pride of lions play tug of war against a crocodile with a baby water buffalo, which goes on to survive the whole ordeal, no less. Of course, Bush's plan is not yet official or finalized, so I'll hold off on further comment until talk becomes walk...

As a final note, earlier today while walking with Caz along the Charles River Esplanade, we stopped for a half hour or so and watched the bluegill sunfish building nests, spawning, and guarding their clutches in the shallows. It wasn't quite as grandiose as an African megafauna battle, but it was pretty cool nonetheless.

Oh, as for the photo above, it is symbolic of Running On taking flight once again, now that my brief period of tumultuousness has passed. OK, it actually has nothing to do with this post. But I just got back from a pretty cool trip to Santa Barbara and wanted to used one of the shots I took. Until next time...

Hang in there, mes amis

Before I even got around to writing my first Seychelles post, I received the frightening news that the ship on which I sailed, Le Ponant (pictured to the right shot from Picard Island within Aldabra Atoll), was taken by pirates off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden. According to a friend in Paris, the story is all over the French news (the ship is owned by a French company, and the crew is mostly French as well). It has also been picked up by just about every major news service outside of France, including the New York Times and CNN. However, I took heart in this report from an Australian site that notes Somali pirates typically treat their captives well in order to get a large ransom. I was also dismayed to read in this report that most Somali pirates are former fishermen, turned to piracy presumably in part due to the depletion of local fishery resources and the consequent inability to earn a sufficient living. It seems this may be a very real and, for me, personal manifestation of the problems with African fisheries described in my Janaury 27 post "The Tangled Web". Three of the pirates can be seen here.

I wish courage, strength, and safety to the officers and engineers, Bertrand and Arthur (the able barmen), chef Jean-Paul, maitre d' Mederic, Olga, Coralie, Celine, Elodie, Tom, and all of my friends aboard the ship. My thoughts are with you.

Amtrak Safari

This past week, I rode Amtrak's Acela Express round-trip from New York to Boston. I really like this trip for the stint along the Connecticut coast, which runs south of I-95 right along the shore. This affords a great look at the marshes and marinas along the way (albeit an often quick look since the Acela can max out at 150 mph). And there is no shortage of the birds featured in my previous post, with numerous osprey platforms and their resident ospreys themselves lining the route.

But my return journey yesterday featured two unexpected bird sightings: The first was a large male wild turkey (a colorful "gobbler") wandering across a salt meadow. And the second was a bald eagle soaring across one of the small coves toward a perch in an old dead tree. At first, I thought I was watching another osprey. But as we drew closer, the size and coloration of the bird were unmistakable. As we raced by, I sank back into my seat with a contented smile while quietly whistling "Freedom Isn't Free" from the Team America: World Police soundtrack...

Welcome Back...

...to me, that is! I've been on the road (and on the rails, and in the air, and under sail, and even underwater) for the better part of the last month, with stops in New Hampshire, Maryland, London, and most notably the Seychelles. My Seychelles trip has given me material for at least a few posts that will follow in the coming days (Ah, who am I kidding: They'll follow in the coming weeks more likely).

But I also want to say "welcome back" to the two fine feathered friends pictured above and all of their kind. Mid-March is the time of year when ospreys return to the Northeast from their overwintering grounds in South and Central America. I look forward to their arrival with eager anticipation each year, and this past week I saw my first pair of the year. I spent three days at meetings in the amazing headquarters of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, right on the banks of the Bay (I snapped the pair above elsewhere in the Chesapeake two years ago). A pair nesting atop a platform emerging from the marsh grasses kept me distracted as they collected sticks and twigs to build their home, and spent a fair bit of time mating as well. They also made me feel a bit better about no longer exploring the remarkable Seychelles, reminding me that my part of the world has its own wildlife treats too.

Ospreys may be my favorite type of bird. Their rivals for that prestigious title are the laughing kookaburra and the brown pelican. The osprey probably gets the nod, though, for the same reason that I officially rank Sam Adams Boston Lager above Sleeman Honey Brown and Brooklyn Lager as my favorite beer: It's the New England bird among the group of contenders and, with certain exceptions such as my devotion to the mighty Detroit Pistons, things New England tend to trump their counterparts in my personal hierarchies. But I digress...

Those birds reminded me to check the Dennis Puleston Osprey Cam (my favorite web cam, but only slightly ahead of this equally important one). This video camera is positioned over the top of an osprey platform at the mouth of the Carmans River in the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge on the South Shore of Long Island. Just before the arrival of the nesting pair using the platform, the camera is installed and begins a live 24-hour web feed of the activities in the nest. At the moment, most of the action is the birds coming and going as they build their nest, interspersed with moments of osprey love. However, before too long one bird or the other (mostly the female, but not exclusively) will remain in the nest full-time, sitting atop this year's clutch of eggs. The other bird will be off fishing, and many of their quarry will be the river herring that inspired the name of the this blog. In the years ahead, this herring run should grow tremendously thanks to a fish ladder recently installed in time for this year's alewife run. (For more observations on the importance of river herring for ospreys, check out David Gessner's book The Return of the Osprey. Gessner's follow-up book Soaring with Fidel tracking the lives of ospreys during the southern part of their migration is worth a look too.)

The osprey cam is named for the man in whose honor my job for the past four years was created, and who fought to save dwindling ospreys populations from the impacts of DDT back in the mid-1960s. Dennis Puleston was an absolutely giant figure, and one I never had the pleasure of meeting. But I have read about his extraordinary deeds, read several of his books, and met and talked to many people who knew him well and who recount through unique individual experiences with the man but with common fondness and reverence just how much he shaped their lives and our world (for a taste of these stories, go here). He traveled the world to far-flung places, and worked tirelessly to protect natural resources closer to home. There was something about my recent transition from the wonders of the Indian Ocean to re-acquaintance with the birds that defined his legacy that made me truly feel his spirit.

"You're gonna need a bigger boat."

Almost two years to the day after we lost Peter Benchley, author of the bestseller Jaws and staunch marine conservationist, today we lost the actor who made Benchley's landlubbing Chief Brody come to life. Roy Scheider died today at age 75. Robert Shaw, who played the tough and eccentric Captain Quint, passed away in 1978, only three years after the film's release. So, of the actors that brought to life the three companions that set sail to hunt the hungry Carcharodon carcharias aboard the Orca, only Richard Dreyfuss, who portrayed the adventurous and nerdy Matt Hooper, remains with us.

Jaws is one of my all-time favorite movies. I love it mostly for the classic scenes aboard the Orca where three vastly different personalities squabble and bicker, but ultimately bond and come together. The hysteria the movie "caused" over sharks has far more to do with ignorance and idiocy rather than any fault of the movie itself or its message. It just took a simple fact (i.e., that sharks can be really dangerous critters) and built it up into a fantastic tale. Fear and paranoia were never called for, but that has never stopped them from overwhelming us before.

But I don't want to pontificate on Jaws and sharks right now. Instead, I want to say thank you to Roy Scheider for bringing Martin Brody to life and leaving us with an all-time great bit of cinema. Rest in peace, Chief.

At Long Last...

The campaigns have been hounding us, journalists and pundits have been inquiring and speculating, and literally millions of voters have been waiting for word of just who Running On will endorse in the Presidential campaign. Due to an agreement with MoveOn.org to hold off the announcement until their membership vote had taken place so as not to influence the outcome, the decision has remained secret. But with MoveOn having made their announcement, RO can now make ours. And our endorsement goes to...

Senator Barack Obama!

Clearly, this endorsement will change the political landscape, and lift Senator Obama's candidacy to a whole new level. The ripple effects will be felt for weeks, months, and likely years to come...

OK, perhaps the RO staff are engaging in a bit of exagerration and hyperbole here. But the excitement surrounding the Obama campaign is palpable. I have not been at his back from the outset, and the reasons for my initial reticence are poor: Would the American electorate support a black man? Would his relative youth and "inexperience" be hurdles?

With respect to the former, I realized that I was falling into the typical Democrat trap of trying to figure out what people would or wouldn't do rather than trying to pursuade others to embrace new ideas and new directions. The more supporters Senator Obama recruits, the more legitimate a vote in his favor will become. I believe his Iowa caucus victory was more important than many realize in setting a precedent.

As for the second question, all I had to do was think about Donald Rumsfeld and that fact that he was probably the single most experienced Defense Secretary our nation has seen, and yet he had been a principle architect of the greatest foreign policy blunder in our history. Experience matters, to be sure, but it can be highly overrated, or at least it needs to be weighed against other key factors as well. Furthermore, experience needs to be evaluated relative to the stage in one's career. Few have had the depth and diversity of experience as Senator Obama at a similar age.

What appeals most to me is not his mind-blowingly moving speaking ability, although that certainly plays a role. Nor is it his call for a "new" politics that is less fractured and bipartisan. In fact, in my view the right has had the wheel of the ship for nearly eight years now and have done such as monumentally bad job on just about all issues that they should voluntarily step aside, sit quietly and let someone else begin working to fix their mistakes. That is, if they had a shred of decency. They had their shot, they blew it, and I'm angry enough that I don't really want to work with them. (Fortunately, Senator Obama is more composed and rational than me, and will be able to look past the train wreck and work with those that caused it.)

What really appeals to me is his call to arms for the citizenry to get active, get involved, and help shape the country we want, rather than sitting back idly waiting for others to make promises and do the job for us. I don't think I realized this when I took the job, but one of the greatest appeals of working for a non-profit is not only effecting change on the issues I care about, but also the act itself of taking an active stand to change the world, rather than simply complaining about what others do or don't do make those changes. Everyday the staff at my organization and countless others across the country working on a range of issues are taking our local, national and global destinies into our hands.

After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, President Bush's advice to Americans for how to strengthen our country and make the world a better place was to "go shopping". When asked what sacrifices Americans were making or needed to make, he responded that "I think they're waiting in airport lines longer than they've ever had before (sic)." At no stage did he call for greater public service or any changes in those ways we live that exacerbate our tense relationship with the Middle East (public transportation, anyone?). Senator John McCain has called Bush out on this (not here, but it's a good piece by McCain anyway), and I have no doubt we would have heard very different things from our leadership had Senator McCain been in the White House. It was a wasted opportunity to galvanize a new ethos of serive in our nation.

Yet, ironically, the end of the Bush presidency offers another opportunity to spark this revolution. The level of dissatisfaction and, frankly, outright disgust has people ready to take the bull by the horns and re-shape our country. And Barack Obama is the one candidate who, while telling us what he will do for us, is also asking for us to do something for ourselves. And that is inspiring.

The Tangled Web

As if on cue, the New York Times published two articles the day before and the day of my MLK-inspired post. One describes the growing black market trade in fish that are caught off the African coast and sold primarily in Europe. Depleted fisheries in European waters have opened markets for fish caught overseas, but often in places where fisheries are themselves in dire straits, where fishing practices are destructive and unregulated, and where the effects of large industrial fleets compromise what could be sustainable, small-scale fisheries by coastal communities. These fisheries are prosecuted to some extent by vessels from the countries that own the resources, but more and more the harvest is taken by Chinese and European boats. This means that any economic benefit derived from these mismanaged or unmanaged fisheries does not remain in the typically impoverished countries from which the resources originate.

Not only does this illegal trade compromise the economies, communities and natural resources of Africa nations, it also is leading to illegal immigration problems for Europe itself. Deprived of their fishing livelihoods, increasing numbers of migrants from North African nations are leaving for Europe, often to take up jobs on the same heavily subsidized vessels that sail from European ports to catch African fish and bring them back for the dinner tables of Spain, Italy, France, etc. Those Africans that remain in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and elsewhere are not only unable to earn a living off fishing, but they are also deprived of a healthy and inexpensive protein source.

This has brought the United States into the picture to some extent, with exports of Atlantic herring to Nigeria growing since the mid-1990s. Herring are small, low-value fish, typically sold as bait for lobster traps or to be processed into fish meal for aquaculture or livestock feed. With higher value fish products leaving African waters in the hands of foreign vessels, herring seemingly is one of the few protein sources that is affordable. Nigerians must therefore pay American fishermen for fish while earning little or nothing off of their own fish that go overseas and line the pockets of foreigners. The inefficiency and greenhouse gas emissions required to move these fish so far from where they are caught to where they are consumed only exacerbates the environmental costs.

Coastal fisheries in Nigeria, which are small-scale and operated by locals, also suffer from petroleum pollution caused by large international companies extracting oil for use overseas and again with little to no local benefit.

This web of fisheries imports and exports, emigration/immigration, climate change and petroleum pollution is increasingly typical of complex environmental, social, economic and political interactions that entangle the globe. Sadly, it seems that often the nations causing the damage and those suffering the greatest effects are not the same. Not surprisingly, the sources of the problems often lie in wealthy, northern developed nations while the victims lie in the developing world. As nations like the United States continue to make progress in managing environmental problems on local, regional or even national scales, our greatest challenges will lie in expanding environmental management to an international and global scale.

Black, White and Green

I write my first post of 2008 on the eve of my own birthday, but reflecting on the far more important birthday occurring today. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr is one of the most singularly courageous, visionary and inspirational men in history, and would have celebrated his 79th birthday on this day had he not been taken from us by the hand of cowardice, hatred and ignorance. The civil rights battle is far from over in the United States – indeed, one need look no further than our failure to give gay American the same rights as others – but I think Dr. King would see progress in the decades since his work and his untimely death. The fact that the leading Democratic Presidential candidate is a black man says something positive about where we are now.

Another important development since Dr. King’s death has been the fusion of civil rights with environmentalism in the environmental justice movement. Although its roots go back to Thoreau, Teddy, Muir and Leopold (actually, it really goes back to the tribes that peopled the country before colonization), the environmental movement hit an upward inflection point shortly after Dr. King’s death in the late 60s and early 70s. The environmental justice movement has been a more recent evolution. Briefly, the concept of environmental justice argues that environmental impacts should not be felt disproportionately by minorities, low income communities, or other socio-economically disenfranchised components of society. The crusade of Erin Brockovich, made famous in the film starring Julia Roberts, was in essence an EJ fight. And many consequences of global climate change will be disproportionately felt by the poor and minorities. The devastation Hurricane Katrina imposed upon the poor, black districts of New Orleans was a recent and poignant example (note: while no storm is solely a result of climate change, there is little doubt that our warming planet is causing or will soon cause stronger and more frequent big storms like Katrina, and its impacts were exacerbated by loss of coastal wetlands that would have buffered some of the large waves).

Yesterday, one day before Dr. King’s birthday, the bombing of the Serena Hotel in Kabul stood in stark contrast to his message of hope and peace. Like too many Americans, I have embarrassingly become somewhat numbed to the continued violence in the Middle East. But I took notice of this incident because a friend that I admire greatly was in the hotel during the attack, and narrowly escaped with her life. She works on women’s rights in Afghanistan, and amazingly will continue to do so after the horrors she faced. Like the days and weeks following 9/11, moments like this cause me to re-think my own field in a larger, or at least different, context. And I am certainly not the first to do so. In parallel with the advent of the EJ movement, has been the growth of a related but distinct field that examines the implications of environmental degradation for global security and stability. In many cases it is clear that water shortages, desertification, devastating storms, decreased agricultural productivity, depleted fisheries, and other environmental problems can result in social problems ranging from unemployment to outright war.

Environmental justice and the intersection of environmental protection and global stability have not been prominent themes in the 19 posts preceding this one (although they have not been completely absent). But I will strive to pick up these important topics more in 2008 and beyond.