The Ride Home: Salmon & other things!

photo © 2008 Russell Bernice | more info (via: Wylio)
note: This post is not about digital technology. 

Wednesday (I did start this post last Thursday - another priority since then) , on my ride home from class in Winnipeg, I listed to the radio program Ideas on CBC - I tuned in a little late, but caught most of the show. The episode was called Saving Salmon (you can hear it by clicking if you missed it!) and it featured a story - pretty well a monologue - by biologist Alexandra Morton (click to go to her web site). Now you might say "salmon - they are tasty, but an hour of someone talking about salmon??", and I might have thought that too, but what I heard was a very passionate advocate for the planet Earth and all its life, including humans. This was not a raving 'tree-hugger' - not that there is anything wrong with that. She is a biologist who lives in B.C. and spent years studying Orcas. So what do Salmon have to do with Orcas? Well, they eat them, so when Salmon suffer, Orcas suffer. On her web site , she writes:

"After 26 years in the wilderness of coastal British Columbia I have learned that wild salmon are one of those generous species that feed the world. As a biologist and mother I have taken a stand for these fish because we need them."

Ms. Morton speaks passionately about the environment, how all living things are connected, how we should be able to live with nature. At one point she pointed to the fact that 'we' fence off areas of wilderness in order to protect it - from 'us'. She also is not very complimentary about politicians and corporations - and I say good for her!  The almighty dollar has way to much influence! This episode is worth a listen, a wonderful portrait of the importance of the natural world!

An Interesting Interview ~ Is knowledge outstripping our ability to deal with it?

A few weeks back, I was listening to the CBC program The Current on the drive to Brandon.One of the interviews was with E.O. Wilson, the eminent evolutionary biologist. At one point the host asked about the current oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. His response (paraphrased) was that we (especially Americans) are so self confident that they think that any problems that arise will be solved as they arise. In other words, we go ahead with projects and ideas without taking the time to think about the consequences, we just think that if something comes up it will be dealt with then. He posits that our society is getting too complicated and that we can't handle the big crises that our coming up. Advancements in knowledge and technology is outstripping our ability to use our wisdom to deal with the big problems. We need a better understanding of ourselves as species, we have had great progress, but also great danger. I am not going all 'luddite', but his words made me think, especially now that the oil has been leaking for almost a month and is produced an oil 'glob' that is many kilometers long and wide. (Wilson is not a technophobe either - as his TED talk and web site below show.) In my previous post, I brought up how nature - the volcano in Iceland - still grounds flights from time to time. While the latter example shows that Nature still trumps man, the oil disaster does reinforce Wilson's ideas. We must think carefully about the ramifications of of our progress and not let the almighty dollar be our guide. I am not saying that we should quit progressing, however, we need to be critical thinkers and reflect and consider the possible consequences instead of "ready ... shoot ... aim".

This is an interesting interview - take a few minutes to give it a listen (link above).
Some links: E.O. Wilson's Biodiversity Foundation.
The Boston Globe: Gallery of photos of this disaster.

TED Talk : E.O. Wilson talks about "Saving Life on Earth"