David Shiffman

More ineffective advocacy from PETA

March 4, 2010April 4, 2010 David Shiffman 20 Comments

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First they paraded half-naked women around in cities (including Charleston, right across from the building where I teach) holding signs that said “I’d rather be naked than wear fur” (Link NSFW). Then they had the “vegetarians have better sex” commercial that the Super Bowl refused to air (Link also NSFW). Now PETA is at it … Read More “More ineffective advocacy from PETA” »

A thought provoking quote about conservation

March 2, 2010March 2, 2010 David Shiffman 4 Comments

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I recently heard an excellent quote about conservation issues. The source of this quote is, of all people, my new home state’s embattled Governor. Mark Sanford, prior to his “hiking the Appalachian Trail” scandal, was a well-respected small government conservative. During a speech about his views, he stated that “the issue of environmental conservation sits … Read More “A thought provoking quote about conservation” »

Carnival of the Blue #34: Awesome logo edition!

March 1, 2010March 1, 2010 David Shiffman 15 Comments

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Welcome to the latest edition of Carnival of the Blue, a monthly compilation of the best in ocean science blogging from around the internet! This month’s entries are as diverse as ocean life itself, and are almost as awesome as the new logo that Jason Robertshaw was kind enough to make for this month’s carnival. You should all be sure to give each of our excellent submissions a read, but definitely take the time to admire this great logo. It’s the standard Carnival of the Blue logo, but there’s a shark swimming by it! It’s almost as if Jason knew that a shark enthusiast would be hosting this month’s Carnival. And now, on to this month’s submissions.

An open thread on Wikipedia’s list of science blogs

March 1, 2010March 1, 2010 David Shiffman 20 Comments

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A Twitter discussion this weekend between Ed Yong, Christie, and Sci Curious pointed out that Wikipedia’s list of science blogs is seriously lacking. If I’ve learned anything in my year in the blog-o-sphere, it’s that there are a lot of excellent blogs and bloggers out there. From reading the Wikipedia entry, you would think that there are only eleven.

Two questions arose from this discussion. First of all, is it a problem? Second of all, if it is a problem, should we solve it? I think that the answers to both questions are yes, but as always, I’m interested in your feedback.

An update on saving the rainforest

February 27, 2010 David Shiffman

Conservation

Last year, I wrote about an easy way to help save the rainforest. Tropicana had partnered with Cool Earth, and every time someone purchased a container of Tropicana Orange Juice, Tropicana would protect an acre of rainforest. As an avid orange juice drinker, I switched brands for a few months to help out this worthy … Read More “An update on saving the rainforest” »

Ethical Debate: Animal rights, human health, and government understanding of science

February 25, 2010November 8, 2010 David Shiffman 111 Comments

Science

I am, in general, a supporter of animal rights. Animal abuse sickens me, and I really believe Ghandi’s famous quote that “you can judge a society by how it treats its weakest members”. That said, while it’s disturbing to see a rabbit which has gone blind from exposure to a potential new shampoo, I’d rather have a rabbit go blind than a human child. More importantly, while it is troubling to infect a chimpanzee with a disease in order to study how to cure that disease, such research unquestionably saves human lives. That’s why I was surprised to learn about the Great Ape Protection Act.

WhySharksMatter speaking at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

February 24, 2010 David Shiffman

Science

As part of their exhibit entitled “Megaladon: Largest Shark That Ever Lived“, I will be giving a public education talk about sharks at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. The talk will be at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9th. The talk is approximately 45 minutes long, which leaves plenty of time … Read More “WhySharksMatter speaking at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences” »

Philosophy of activism: “I bet we can find one million” facebook groups

February 21, 2010 David Shiffman 20 Comments

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It’s time for another “philosophy of activism” discussion, in which we debate a tactic that a particular group of activists is using in order to determine if the environmental movement should adopt it. This time, we turn to Facebook.

As a Facebook addict, I’ve noticed a new trend: groups that say “I bet we can find one million people who (insert your cause here)”. Examples include “I bet we can find one million people who support same sex marriage”, “I bet we can find one million people against abortion,” and “I bet we can find one million people who want Japan to stop killing whales”. There are over 1,100 such groups (though some are not political in nature, such as “I bet we can find one million people who hate the Jonas Brothers”. Let’s discuss whether or not these groups help their respective causes.

Lemon Sharks Protected in Florida!

February 19, 2010 David Shiffman

Conservation, Science

Several months ago, I asked for your help to get 10,000 signatures on a petition to protect lemon sharks in Florida coastal waters. Thanks to your signatures and the hard work of dedicated activists in Florida, we have succeeded! The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has agreed to protect lemon sharks!

Blogger Day at the Georgia Aquarium

February 18, 2010February 18, 2010 David Shiffman 2 Comments

Science

I will be attending “blogger day” this Saturday at the Georgia Aquarium this Saturday. I’ve heard some good things about the aquarium and their “Planet Shark: Predator or Prey” exhibit, and I’m excited to finally check it out. The last time I was in Atlanta was literally one week before they opened. I’ll have a … Read More “Blogger Day at the Georgia Aquarium” »