Mar 17 2012: What a great example Zane! I think this such a good way to frame the two sides of the debate. Not only do we have different ways to define nature, but different perspectives as well. Of course we are going to naturally take the human perspective, but doesn't that tree have a right to be there also? Maybe the other trees in the forest would die initially, but perhaps those with some kind of resistance to the toxin would survive and repopulate that area of the forest. We fear the unknown consequences of our actions, but nature can also be surprisingly resilient, and is in constant flux - I think we need to have a little faith in mother nature!
Mar 16 2012: Change is always hard, and it is difficult for us to "let go" of certain species that we might be losing, but I think each case needs to be looked at individually. For example, it seems that zebra mussels can in fact be eliminated with the bacterial remedy that by all accounts seems not to harm the ecosystem in anyway. Other measures against invasives seem likely to cause more harm than good. So I guess I agree with both sides - I think sometimes it is in everyones best interest to try to remove the species if this can be done effectively and without negative impact, and sometimes we all just have to learn how to get along and adapt to the new situation, and that goes for other species that might be negatively impacted by that invasion.
Mar 15 2012: good article Ken. Speaking of other pollinators, has everyone forgotten about our native pollinator, the bumblebee? I think one thread mentioned it below. Honeybees are an invasive species from Europe that are good at pollinating large monoculture crops, while bumblebees are better at pollinating diverse tracts of land, like meadows and gardens. As many have said, the real problem here is our current way of doing things, i.e. current large-scale agriculture, for SO many reasons, not least of which is that the current way we are going about pollinating is unsustainable. If we change the way we do things, either the honeybees themselves could come back, or, we can give other pollinators the chance to pick up the slack. We always want to "fix" the problem by fixing the bees - maybe we need to fix ourselves! They have been around a whole lot longer than we have!!!
Mar 8 2012: Kevin allocca has a ted talk on viral videos that is quite relevant to this discussion! Tastemakers, like celebrities, community participation, and unexpectedness or uniqueness, were all components of successful viral videos. These were all things we mentioned for how to make sustainability go viral as well!
Mar 8 2012: I agree that memes are interpreted, but they go viral in the sense that they spread quickly and impact a large number of people. What that meme translates into for each person might be different, bu nonetheless it is reaching them Iin some way. I agree that we need to mprove people's general perception and perspective on things like sustainability, so that when the meme reaches them, they can be infected by it and transmit it to others.
Mar 8 2012: I think relating to sustainability on a personal level really hits home a lot of what some people have been talking about,as far as ways to really make a meme spread. But would making a silly video really inspire people to action? Would they take it seriously enough to take the kind of action that is necessary for global change? Even if it means personal sacrifice? Maybe we need something even more powerful than memes...
Mar 8 2012: I don't think sexual activity is a lifestyle choice - being CELIBATE is a lifestyle choice. Having sex is one of the fundamental features of all organisms on this earth. Protecting people from contracting this sexually-transmitted disease is the same in my mind as protecting them from the measles or hepatitis.
Mar 8 2012: I love this idea! People love to play games, and it motivates them to win! And I think Rishi is totally correct - people want to see payoff for their efforts. If we could find some way to make sustainability an attractive, fun, and cooperative effort that people gets better as more people join (similar to the concept of social networking), I feel like this meme could really catch on!
Mar 7 2012: I think that is a great point Brant. Words and their associations are very important to take into consideration, when thinking about powerful ideas that are going to ultimately be expressed through words, even if it also contains symbols and/or cultural expressions.
I would lie to see how people think we could make the meme of sustainability more attractive, in that it becomes more popular and spreads more quickly. Would it be through choosing the right words, symbols, or expressions? Or is there another method that would be more important?
Mar 7 2012: Not eating chocolate doesn't infect other people and give them cancer. Big difference.
A lot of people are talking about abortion or contraception as examples of personal choice and using those instances for analogy here - but those choices don't affect other people in the same way that choosing not to get vaccinated does. HPV is a case when your choice not to get vaccinated can directly infect and even kill many other people, not just yourself.
I totally agree that the cost of this vaccine is a problem, and that in needs to be dispersed in such a way that the cost to the individual citizen is reduced, but in the spirit of preventative medicine I am sure that this mandated measure would actually reduce the healthcare costs attributed to infection with the HPV virus and cancer for the infected individuals later in life.
We should force as a final solution in a debate when the alternative is the infection and possible death of millions of people due to misconceptions and ridiculous fear mongering by the uneducated and misinformed.
I completely agree, however, that education on the subject is by far the preferred method of prevention.
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A reply on Conversation: Are you concerned about the spread of invasive species?
A comment on Conversation: Are you concerned about the spread of invasive species?
A reply on Conversation: Where would you place Colony Collapse Disorder in relation to the many other problems facing our society?
A comment on Conversation: Are memes important for our survival? How can we draw on memetic theory to inspire ideas of sustainability that go viral?
A reply on Conversation: Are memes important for our survival? How can we draw on memetic theory to inspire ideas of sustainability that go viral?
A reply on Conversation: Are memes important for our survival? How can we draw on memetic theory to inspire ideas of sustainability that go viral?
A reply on Conversation: When it comes to vaccine intervention for disease control, should personal liberty go before the benefit to society?
A reply on Conversation: Are memes important for our survival? How can we draw on memetic theory to inspire ideas of sustainability that go viral?
A comment on Conversation: Are memes important for our survival? How can we draw on memetic theory to inspire ideas of sustainability that go viral?
I would lie to see how people think we could make the meme of sustainability more attractive, in that it becomes more popular and spreads more quickly. Would it be through choosing the right words, symbols, or expressions? Or is there another method that would be more important?
A comment on Conversation: When it comes to vaccine intervention for disease control, should personal liberty go before the benefit to society?
A lot of people are talking about abortion or contraception as examples of personal choice and using those instances for analogy here - but those choices don't affect other people in the same way that choosing not to get vaccinated does. HPV is a case when your choice not to get vaccinated can directly infect and even kill many other people, not just yourself.
I totally agree that the cost of this vaccine is a problem, and that in needs to be dispersed in such a way that the cost to the individual citizen is reduced, but in the spirit of preventative medicine I am sure that this mandated measure would actually reduce the healthcare costs attributed to infection with the HPV virus and cancer for the infected individuals later in life.
We should force as a final solution in a debate when the alternative is the infection and possible death of millions of people due to misconceptions and ridiculous fear mongering by the uneducated and misinformed.
I completely agree, however, that education on the subject is by far the preferred method of prevention.