Andrew Thaler

Spanning the Bordeaux Belt – what does local mean in a global economy

April 11, 2011 Andrew Thaler 8 Comments

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A small news article from Science has been taped above my desk for the last few years. I don’t remember who originally gave it to me, or why I even hung it up, but there it is, nestled between a couple XKCD cartoons. The article is titled “The Wine Divide” and it raises many questions about sustainability, inherent biases in conventional wisdom, and what the term “local” means in a global economy. And it’s about wine.

What steps have you taken to lead a more sustainable life?

April 11, 2011April 18, 2011 Andrew Thaler 3 Comments

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It’s the second week of Science and Sustainability month, and this time we want to know what you have done to lead a more sustainable life. Be as specific or as general as you want. Do you reuse items that you’d normally throw away, bike instead of drive, compost your trash? Have you made dramatic … Read More “What steps have you taken to lead a more sustainable life?” »

Science and Sustainability Comment of the Week

April 10, 2011April 10, 2011 Andrew Thaler 1 Comment

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We launched Science and Sustainability month with an open thread, asking our readers “What does sustainability mean to you?” We received several truly stellar comments, but can, unfortunately, only choose one to be our comment of the week. Congratulations to Mark Gibson, who said:

Is it time for a sustainable pet movement?

April 8, 2011December 3, 2013 Andrew Thaler 37 Comments

Conservation

The world is rapidly approaching 7 billion people and the challenges of food supply, security, and sustainability will, along with climate change, be the defining issues of the 21st century. While the issues of the wealthiest nations revolve around the quality of our food, the environmental impact or our farming practices, and the value we place on a perceived degree of “naturalness”, the rest of the world is simply concerned with having enough to eat. What we chose to value in our society affects the rest of the world, and perhaps the most visible, and most dramatic difference between the developing and developed world is the ways in which we treat our pets.

Weekly dose of TED: Hans Rosling and the Magic Washing Machine

April 8, 2011April 3, 2011 Andrew Thaler 2 Comments

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Hans Rosling has an important and often overlooked message about how the decisions made by the wealthiest affect the poorest and where we need to focus our goals when we talk about sustainability.

Donate to Bonehenge!

April 7, 2011 Andrew Thaler

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As part of our month of Sustainability and Science, we’re raising money to help complete Bonehenge. Bonehenge is the skeleton of a Sperm Whale that stranded on Cape Lookout several years ago. Over the last three years, Keith Rittmaster and an army of volunteers from the North Carolina Maritime Museum have been working to re-articulate the skeleton for a display at their Gallants Channel campus.

The protect is a shining example of outreach and community engagement. School groups tour the assembly facility regularly and get a first hand look at the process of reconstructing a full sized whale. Over the course of the project, several new discoveries about sperm whale physiology have been made, including the extreme degree of asymmetry that results in one side of the whale have fewer and smaller bones than the other.

During this month we will match all donations up to $250. There is a widget to your left to make donation through paypal. Even a couple of dollars goes a long way towards making this exhibit a reality.

Biodiversity Wednesday: The Green Spaces of New York

April 6, 2011April 5, 2011 Andrew Thaler

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Biodiversity matters, even in the heart of one of America’s largest cities. New York City is possibly one of the most altered environments in which humans live. Even here, among the towering buildings of the concrete jungle, there are green spaces, and in these green spaces, biodiversity thrives.

Winners of the 2011 Flat Grok Contest

April 5, 2011April 4, 2011 Andrew Thaler 1 Comment

Popular Culture

Last month the Nicholas School of the Environment held its annual Green in 3 video competition. This year they asked participants to submit a 30 second clip that illuminates their personal sustainable practices. Six winner were selected. You may recognize some of you favorite Fry-entists (and their flock of now much larger chickens) among the … Read More “Winners of the 2011 Flat Grok Contest” »

Book Review: A year at Lazy Point

April 5, 2011April 13, 2011 Andrew Thaler 8 Comments

Conservation, Science

I adored Song for the Blue Ocean. The first time I read it was a formative moment in my development as a young marine biologist and conservationist. When I picked up Eye of the Albatross and, later, Voyage of the Turtle, I expected that same magic, but could not find it. Safina’s subsequent books were not bad. Both were evocative, beautifully written, and stirring tributes to the natural world. But their stories felt too familiar, like listening to a contemporary symphony built around a Bach fugue or watching a remake of a classic movie. So I approached The View from Lazy Point with the same expectations, as yet another supplement to Song for the Blue Ocean. I was mistaken.

What does sustainability mean to you?

April 4, 2011April 10, 2011 Andrew Thaler 13 Comments

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The word ‘sustainable’ has been appearing everywhere recently. New eco-friendly products, certain fisheries, agricultural and land management programs, even new housing developments bear the sustainable brand. People talk about leading more sustainable lives, buying sustainable food, and using sustainable energy. What do we really mean when we says sustainable? Is something sustainable just because it … Read More “What does sustainability mean to you?” »