Hello Environmental Book Club!
Although we are no longer meeting, we did promise to keep in touch with articles and books of interest. Eugenia found 2 articles she thought you might like—one from Book Club favorite Michael Pollan, and one Projo article on Grist Magazine. And Charlotte just sent us a Discover article with a different take on honeybees and colony collapse disorder.
Michael Pollan: Big Food vs. Big Insurance
Brown grad honored for reporting ‘green’ news with humor
Buzz Off: colony collapse disorder
We hope you’ve enjoyed your summer and are looking forward to fall. If you come across a good environmental book to curl up with as the weather cools, please let us know!
Eugenia Marks & July Lewis
Friday, September 18, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Technonatures
Hi book club gang,
As I mentioned, we are going to pass on reviews/recommendations from book club members even though the book club is no longer meeting. Eugenia found a book that looks interesting: Technonatures, edited by Damian F. White and Chris Wilbert. Take a look and tell us what you think!
To post a comment, enter in the box below. Or, if the comment box is not displayed, click where it says "0 comments" (or 1 comment, or whatever we have). Below the comment box, there is a drop-down box that says "comment as:" The easiest thing to do is select 'anonymous'--no more info needed. But if you have any of the accounts they list (Google, AIM, etc), select it and enter in the info requested. If you don't have one of the listed accounts, but do have a personal web page such as a profile on Facebook, you can select Name/URL. Type in your name and paste in the URL of your profile page or whatever web page you want to use.
July Lewis & Eugenia Marks
As I mentioned, we are going to pass on reviews/recommendations from book club members even though the book club is no longer meeting. Eugenia found a book that looks interesting: Technonatures, edited by Damian F. White and Chris Wilbert. Take a look and tell us what you think!
To post a comment, enter in the box below. Or, if the comment box is not displayed, click where it says "0 comments" (or 1 comment, or whatever we have). Below the comment box, there is a drop-down box that says "comment as:" The easiest thing to do is select 'anonymous'--no more info needed. But if you have any of the accounts they list (Google, AIM, etc), select it and enter in the info requested. If you don't have one of the listed accounts, but do have a personal web page such as a profile on Facebook, you can select Name/URL. Type in your name and paste in the URL of your profile page or whatever web page you want to use.
July Lewis & Eugenia Marks
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach
Dear book club members, here is the discussion of the final Environmental Book Club meeting. We've a had a wonderful 2 years and have learned so much from all of you! While we will not be meeting anymore, we would like to continue this blog and the email list. We invite you to email us at jlewis@asri.org with any environmental books/articles you've either read or are interested in reading, and we will email it to the group and post it on the blog. You can email a quick recommendation or a full review, whatever you like! Please do stay in touch, and thank you so much for being a part of the book club!
Eugenia & July
For the final meeting of the Audubon Environmental Book Club, we read Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach, a 1975 Utopian novel that was influential on the counterculture and green movements of the 1970s and beyond. This is the first time we have read fiction in the book club!
The premise is that sometime in the not-too distant future, Washington, Oregon and Northern California decide to break with the ecologically destructive culture of the rest of the United States. They secede from the union and found a new nation, Ecotopia. Ecotopia closes its borders and diplomatic relations with the U.S., and proceeds to recreate its industry, economy, political system and culture in a way that expresses many of the counter-cultural ideals that were prevalent when the book was written. The book is set about 20 years after the bitter secession, and is told from the point of view of an American reporter who is the first officially arranged visitor since then.
There was lots to talk about with this book! What we thought about the story, about the ideas, what's come true and what hasn't, what's still relevant and what seems humorously dated. While certain fashions and language and social ideas seemed quaint, much is still relevant today. Many aspects of this utopian vision were appealing--a twenty-hour workweek, free and efficient mass transit, and cities designed to be livable, pleasant and walkable where you can see the stars at night. The author imagines a society that has nearly eliminated pollution and come close to their ideal of a 'stable state' ecology, where they are not degrading natural systems. Much of this is due to engineering feats we have not acheived in reality--such as plastics made from plants which are completely durable when used and compostable when worn out. But some is due to simplification, recycling, composting, renewable energy and other methods which are available to us now. Much is due to massive state-imposed reforms, an idea that was not as appealing. Yet although the initial reforms were top-down, Ecotopia is imagined as being a society where most of the political power is held locally and where supportive bonds of community make up the fabric of life. This echoes sentiments expressed in Deep Economy by Bill McKibben, another book club read.
The author also imagines a society where emotions (the whole spectrum) are on full display, where everybody talks and processes their feelings in the open, which was seen as an expression of 1970s ideals of personal growth and 'letting it all hang out'. Their educational system emphasizes an unstructured approach where the students do hands-on work and pursure their own interests--these ideas that emerged in the 1960-70s have not become mainstream but there are several successful school models today (Montessori, the Met School) that incorporate these ideas. Ecotopia's ritual war games (groups of men fight with spears until blood is shed) are imagined as a sort of escape valve for humanity's violent urges, which seemed odd to many readers. Sex and gender and economy and politics.....all of these were reimagined in this book that was as fun to discuss as it was to read.
It's been a pleasure, everyone! Please stay in touch!
--July Lewis & Eugenia Marks
P.S. Do let us know what you thought of the book, and maybe share some thoughts and memories of the book club too by leaving a comment. If the comment box is not displayed below, click where it says "0 comments" (or 1 comment, or whatever we have). Below the comment box, there is a drop-down box that says "comment as:" The easiest thing to do is select 'anonymous'--no more info needed. But if you have any of the accounts they list (Google, AIM, etc), select it and enter in the info requested. If you don't have one of the listed accounts, but do have a personal web page such as a profile on Facebook, you can select Name/URL. Type in your name and paste in the URL of your profile page or whatever web page you want to use.
Eugenia & July
For the final meeting of the Audubon Environmental Book Club, we read Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach, a 1975 Utopian novel that was influential on the counterculture and green movements of the 1970s and beyond. This is the first time we have read fiction in the book club!
The premise is that sometime in the not-too distant future, Washington, Oregon and Northern California decide to break with the ecologically destructive culture of the rest of the United States. They secede from the union and found a new nation, Ecotopia. Ecotopia closes its borders and diplomatic relations with the U.S., and proceeds to recreate its industry, economy, political system and culture in a way that expresses many of the counter-cultural ideals that were prevalent when the book was written. The book is set about 20 years after the bitter secession, and is told from the point of view of an American reporter who is the first officially arranged visitor since then.
There was lots to talk about with this book! What we thought about the story, about the ideas, what's come true and what hasn't, what's still relevant and what seems humorously dated. While certain fashions and language and social ideas seemed quaint, much is still relevant today. Many aspects of this utopian vision were appealing--a twenty-hour workweek, free and efficient mass transit, and cities designed to be livable, pleasant and walkable where you can see the stars at night. The author imagines a society that has nearly eliminated pollution and come close to their ideal of a 'stable state' ecology, where they are not degrading natural systems. Much of this is due to engineering feats we have not acheived in reality--such as plastics made from plants which are completely durable when used and compostable when worn out. But some is due to simplification, recycling, composting, renewable energy and other methods which are available to us now. Much is due to massive state-imposed reforms, an idea that was not as appealing. Yet although the initial reforms were top-down, Ecotopia is imagined as being a society where most of the political power is held locally and where supportive bonds of community make up the fabric of life. This echoes sentiments expressed in Deep Economy by Bill McKibben, another book club read.
The author also imagines a society where emotions (the whole spectrum) are on full display, where everybody talks and processes their feelings in the open, which was seen as an expression of 1970s ideals of personal growth and 'letting it all hang out'. Their educational system emphasizes an unstructured approach where the students do hands-on work and pursure their own interests--these ideas that emerged in the 1960-70s have not become mainstream but there are several successful school models today (Montessori, the Met School) that incorporate these ideas. Ecotopia's ritual war games (groups of men fight with spears until blood is shed) are imagined as a sort of escape valve for humanity's violent urges, which seemed odd to many readers. Sex and gender and economy and politics.....all of these were reimagined in this book that was as fun to discuss as it was to read.
It's been a pleasure, everyone! Please stay in touch!
--July Lewis & Eugenia Marks
P.S. Do let us know what you thought of the book, and maybe share some thoughts and memories of the book club too by leaving a comment. If the comment box is not displayed below, click where it says "0 comments" (or 1 comment, or whatever we have). Below the comment box, there is a drop-down box that says "comment as:" The easiest thing to do is select 'anonymous'--no more info needed. But if you have any of the accounts they list (Google, AIM, etc), select it and enter in the info requested. If you don't have one of the listed accounts, but do have a personal web page such as a profile on Facebook, you can select Name/URL. Type in your name and paste in the URL of your profile page or whatever web page you want to use.
Friday, April 24, 2009
A History of Oyster Aquaculture in RI
Hi everyone,
For April we read "A History of Oyster Aquaculture in RI" by Michael Rice. We started out talking about oysters and shared oyster recipies and memories, then we moved on to the management of oysters in Rhode Island as described by the article. We were intrigued by colonial resource management--how in 1734 the practice of harvesting oysters for their shells alone (which were valuable for use in mortar) was outlawed because it was wasteful, and how they set laws to prevent overfishing.
The post-Revolutionary policy of issuing private harvest leases or grants of oyster banks was controversial at the time and has continued in one form or another to this day. We debated its merits (as a way to solve "Tragedy of the Commons") and the evolution of the RI system with its parade of different laws and commissions. We talked about the pollution that degraded the fishery, and how waters have improved since the passage of the Clean Water Act.
The author suggests that burdensome regulations promulgated the early 80s were an obstacle to the resurgence of aquaculture, and that 1996 revisions have improved the situation. Eugenia and Laura shared recollections of the lengthy Spatco/Moonstone Oyster lease application the author references. We delved more into pollution and discussed combined sewer overflows and other sources of nutrient pollution, one of the main problems currently facing the Narragansett Bay. We talked a lot about the history of our state, the legacy of industry and the impact on our waters today.
Next time: Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach! See sidebar for details. Happy Reading!
July Lewis & Eugenia Marks
P.S. We love getting comments on this blog, so do let us know what you thought of the book! If the comment box is not displayed below, click where it says "0 comments" (or 1 comment, or whatever we have). Below the comment box, there is a drop-down box that says "comment as:" The easiest thing to do is select 'anonymous'--no more info needed. But if you have any of the accounts they list (Google, AIM, etc), select it and enter in the info requested. If you don't have one of the listed accounts, but do have a personal web page such as a profile on Facebook, you can select Name/URL. Type in your name and paste in the URL of your profile page or whatever web page you want to use.
For April we read "A History of Oyster Aquaculture in RI" by Michael Rice. We started out talking about oysters and shared oyster recipies and memories, then we moved on to the management of oysters in Rhode Island as described by the article. We were intrigued by colonial resource management--how in 1734 the practice of harvesting oysters for their shells alone (which were valuable for use in mortar) was outlawed because it was wasteful, and how they set laws to prevent overfishing.
The post-Revolutionary policy of issuing private harvest leases or grants of oyster banks was controversial at the time and has continued in one form or another to this day. We debated its merits (as a way to solve "Tragedy of the Commons") and the evolution of the RI system with its parade of different laws and commissions. We talked about the pollution that degraded the fishery, and how waters have improved since the passage of the Clean Water Act.
The author suggests that burdensome regulations promulgated the early 80s were an obstacle to the resurgence of aquaculture, and that 1996 revisions have improved the situation. Eugenia and Laura shared recollections of the lengthy Spatco/Moonstone Oyster lease application the author references. We delved more into pollution and discussed combined sewer overflows and other sources of nutrient pollution, one of the main problems currently facing the Narragansett Bay. We talked a lot about the history of our state, the legacy of industry and the impact on our waters today.
Next time: Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach! See sidebar for details. Happy Reading!
July Lewis & Eugenia Marks
P.S. We love getting comments on this blog, so do let us know what you thought of the book! If the comment box is not displayed below, click where it says "0 comments" (or 1 comment, or whatever we have). Below the comment box, there is a drop-down box that says "comment as:" The easiest thing to do is select 'anonymous'--no more info needed. But if you have any of the accounts they list (Google, AIM, etc), select it and enter in the info requested. If you don't have one of the listed accounts, but do have a personal web page such as a profile on Facebook, you can select Name/URL. Type in your name and paste in the URL of your profile page or whatever web page you want to use.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Swamp by Michael Grunwald
Happy (almost) Spring! Last night as book club members left the Smithfield meeting, we were serenaded by spring peepers. Tomorrow it will be officially spring!
For March we discussed The Swamp by Michael Grunwald, a book about the Florida Everglades. The book takes readers on a journey from the region's geological origins to its current status as an embattled and altered but nationally treasured wetland. The author describes the history of the Seminole Wars, European settler dreams of draining the Everglades for agriculture, waves of land speculation, failed drainage projects, successful drainage projects, catastrophic floods and fires, eventual rampant development, and finally a massive political struggle to save and restore the Everglades, with the outcome still in question. We compared the book to Control of Nature by John McPhee, another book club read, and found similar themes of battling against nature.
One of the central paradoxes of the book is how human opinions of this region have varied so widely. Many reports (especially from early white settlers and soldiers) described the Everglades as a mosquito-infested hell on earth. Others saw it as a wastleland that needed only the application of human effort to "redeem" it and transform it into productive agricultural lands as God had clearly intended. As the Everglades were reduced and altered through drainage and development, more people began to describe the Everglades as a unique, sacred Eden of incredible beauty and diversity that human interference was destroying, not redeeming.
Book club members spoke of trying to understand why all these people saw the Everglades the way they did, of "getting into the heads" of people in the context of their time and situation. Members with connections to Florida (such as Eugenia, who spent part of her childhood there) shared their own experiences of the Everglades. In discussing the problems of runaway development and problematic drainage schemes, Alex said "it takes real foresight to make an infrastructure" and we agreed that foresight was not usually present in Florida's crazed land rushes. We discussed the underlying issue of population growth and its impacts on natural systems. We pondered the question, "are the Everglades saved?" and what 'saved' would mean. There is no question that they have been permanently altered. Much of the land is protected but there is no guarantee that the hydrology will be restored sufficiently to prevent further decline. We discussed competition for water in Florida, and Eugenia talked about current water management efforts in RI (see Take Action! in the sidebar for more). Finally, Karen reluctantly posed the question, "what if we spend billions of dollars on this restoration and then it all gets inundated by global warming?"
We love getting comments on this blog, so do let us know what you thought of the book! If the comment box is not displayed below, click where it says "0 comments" (or 1 comment, or whatever we have). Below the comment box, there is a drop-down box that says "comment as:" The easiest thing to do is select 'anonymous'--no more info needed. But if you have any of the accounts they list (Google, AIM, etc), select it and enter in the info requested. If you don't have one of the listed accounts, but do have a personal web page such as a profile on Facebook, you can select Name/URL. Type in your name and paste in the URL of your profile page or whatever web page you want to use.
Next month we read essays on oyster aquaculture in RI, and for May we selected the 1975 utopian novel Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach. This is the first time we have selected a work of fiction! See sidebar for schedule. Happy reading!
July Lewis
For March we discussed The Swamp by Michael Grunwald, a book about the Florida Everglades. The book takes readers on a journey from the region's geological origins to its current status as an embattled and altered but nationally treasured wetland. The author describes the history of the Seminole Wars, European settler dreams of draining the Everglades for agriculture, waves of land speculation, failed drainage projects, successful drainage projects, catastrophic floods and fires, eventual rampant development, and finally a massive political struggle to save and restore the Everglades, with the outcome still in question. We compared the book to Control of Nature by John McPhee, another book club read, and found similar themes of battling against nature.
One of the central paradoxes of the book is how human opinions of this region have varied so widely. Many reports (especially from early white settlers and soldiers) described the Everglades as a mosquito-infested hell on earth. Others saw it as a wastleland that needed only the application of human effort to "redeem" it and transform it into productive agricultural lands as God had clearly intended. As the Everglades were reduced and altered through drainage and development, more people began to describe the Everglades as a unique, sacred Eden of incredible beauty and diversity that human interference was destroying, not redeeming.
Book club members spoke of trying to understand why all these people saw the Everglades the way they did, of "getting into the heads" of people in the context of their time and situation. Members with connections to Florida (such as Eugenia, who spent part of her childhood there) shared their own experiences of the Everglades. In discussing the problems of runaway development and problematic drainage schemes, Alex said "it takes real foresight to make an infrastructure" and we agreed that foresight was not usually present in Florida's crazed land rushes. We discussed the underlying issue of population growth and its impacts on natural systems. We pondered the question, "are the Everglades saved?" and what 'saved' would mean. There is no question that they have been permanently altered. Much of the land is protected but there is no guarantee that the hydrology will be restored sufficiently to prevent further decline. We discussed competition for water in Florida, and Eugenia talked about current water management efforts in RI (see Take Action! in the sidebar for more). Finally, Karen reluctantly posed the question, "what if we spend billions of dollars on this restoration and then it all gets inundated by global warming?"
We love getting comments on this blog, so do let us know what you thought of the book! If the comment box is not displayed below, click where it says "0 comments" (or 1 comment, or whatever we have). Below the comment box, there is a drop-down box that says "comment as:" The easiest thing to do is select 'anonymous'--no more info needed. But if you have any of the accounts they list (Google, AIM, etc), select it and enter in the info requested. If you don't have one of the listed accounts, but do have a personal web page such as a profile on Facebook, you can select Name/URL. Type in your name and paste in the URL of your profile page or whatever web page you want to use.
Next month we read essays on oyster aquaculture in RI, and for May we selected the 1975 utopian novel Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach. This is the first time we have selected a work of fiction! See sidebar for schedule. Happy reading!
July Lewis
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