Jun 8 2012: I think one major problem with zoos today is that there is little reason to come back. Most if not all the exhibits are permanent, and animals are generally on daily routines that do not vary much. Unless you have a child who is obsessed with animals, the chances are you have not been to a zoo in a long time. I understand that the infrastructure necessary to house animals and care for them is expensive, but zoos need to find a way to be more dynamic in their exhibits to encourage return trips. Either this or make the community feel more involved with the successes of the zoo by hosting more events that celebrate things like successful in-house breeding or the arrival of a new animal. Zoos could also take an additional step by throwing events to celebrate conservation successes outside of the zoo or even the country, and try to establish themselves as a social gathering places for people who want to promote these causes.
Jun 8 2012: I also agree that the idea that environmentalism is the enemy of capitalism is a major barrier to increasing environmental awareness today. Large corporations wield considerable resources that could potentially be used to help conservation or better yet education, should they be persuaded that it is in their best interest. I also agree that action is the most important thing and that it is crucial that people not only discuss these topics, but live lifestyles that conform to these ideals.
Jun 7 2012: Zoos should definitely be heavily involved in conservation both in the zoo and outside. It is hard to believe that zoos can maintain their populations over the long term through strictly in-house breeding, so it is in the zoos' best interest to maintain wild populations to maintain their stocks. In addition, educating the public about animals and sparking interest in conservation. I believe that this mission may have an even greater impact than any conservation work zoos can do on their own, as public interest and awareness about biodiversity issues can divert much more resources than any zoo can.
Jun 7 2012: This project sounds like a great idea. However, I think that the main barrier to the spread of this project to other areas is the funding. Funding for prisons come from tax payers, and if the tax payers do not believe that sustainability is important, why would they vote to support programs like this? Education of the masses is the key, for people of all ages. I feel like the television media is the largest influence of public opinion in America today, and if mainstream shows and movies, for audiences of all ages, incorporate sustainable ideals into their material, this could be the single largest way to increase awareness of sustainability problems.
Jun 4 2012: This is a very legitimate point that I did not consider. Just as diversity is important on the species, and ecosystem level, diversity in culture and expression of protest also is important. Where one strategy may be most useful in some cases, there may be situations where extremism, or even the threat of extremism is the best strategy for causing real change.
May 31 2012: I believe that no matter the final cause, using violence and fear to spread your message is not the way to make change in today's democratic system. While environmentalists (or any other group of protestors) may feel powerless against larger, better funded, corporations and landowners, they must remember that extreme and violent actions are almost always viewed negatively by the general public and will ultimately turn people against your cause.
While education campaigns are slower and MUCH more difficult, they are the only way to ultimately sway public opinion. People will only put effort in if they expect rewards as a consequence, so the goal of Environmentalism should be to educate people on the rewards they will receive from supporting these policies, as opposed to trying to scare people into Environmentalism with doomsday predictions and threats.
May 23 2012: I am also in favor of green roofs, and think that adding green roofing requirements to existing building codes for all new buildings would be a great idea in most places. I do not believe that the additional costs will be very large relative to the cost of the entire building, and would not slow growth very much at all. These codes could also create new jobs for roof design and maintenance. Taking it a step further, if existing buildings were required to retro-fit with green roofing, this could create a huge boom in employment as developed areas seek to make changes. I like the idea mentioned earlier of tax incentives for buildings that utilize green roofing as an alternative or intermediate model.
There are places where this would just not be practical however, including areas with high winds, extreme temperatures, and lack of rain. I am not aware of any down sides of green roofing, and am very interested to hear more critiques because it seems like a sure fire great idea to me in most places.
May 20 2012: I think that marijuana may have a place as an alternative medicine. While smoking anything is harmful for you, there are other ways to consume marijuana that do not these negative effects. I think that legalization will lead to more legitimate research into these other consumption methods that can possibly provide healing effects. Marijuana is not physically addicting, as legal substances such as alcohol, tobacco, opiate pain killers etc, but it is definitely habit forming and it can take over some people's lives. We have the right to use these substances, with regulation when we are of age, and I do not see how marijuana should be any different.
Apr 30 2012: Nature provides so many services, and in such complex overlapping ways, that it is extremely difficult for me to identify any one that I consider more important or valuable than the others. I would consider the ability to sustainably provide clean air, water, and food to be the most essential ecosystem services for humans, but different ecosystems have very different ways of providing these needs and we need to preserve this diversity to be prepared to meet our needs, whatever our future environmental conditions may be.
As a consumer, it is often difficult to balance our ideals and our budget. I would like to live off solely organic food, which internalizes the costs of many negative externalities caused by industrial food production, but there are many times, that due to my budget constraints, I simply cannot afford to do so. Education is the main way to increase peoples awareness of ecosystem services and get more people involved in their protection.
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A comment on Conversation: Do zoos help biodiversity conservation?
A reply on Conversation: From ivory tower to prison cell: How can we bring conservation efforts to the public?
A comment on Conversation: Do zoos help biodiversity conservation?
A comment on Conversation: From ivory tower to prison cell: How can we bring conservation efforts to the public?
A reply on Conversation: Do extremist tactics push environmentalism forwards or backwards?
A comment on Conversation: Do extremist tactics push environmentalism forwards or backwards?
While education campaigns are slower and MUCH more difficult, they are the only way to ultimately sway public opinion. People will only put effort in if they expect rewards as a consequence, so the goal of Environmentalism should be to educate people on the rewards they will receive from supporting these policies, as opposed to trying to scare people into Environmentalism with doomsday predictions and threats.
A comment on Conversation: If green roofs were mandatory in cities would there be less development and building?
There are places where this would just not be practical however, including areas with high winds, extreme temperatures, and lack of rain. I am not aware of any down sides of green roofing, and am very interested to hear more critiques because it seems like a sure fire great idea to me in most places.
A comment on Conversation: Should Cannabis be legalized as a medicine?
A comment on Conversation: What are ecosystem services that you rely on everyday? Are you willing to pay for them?
As a consumer, it is often difficult to balance our ideals and our budget. I would like to live off solely organic food, which internalizes the costs of many negative externalities caused by industrial food production, but there are many times, that due to my budget constraints, I simply cannot afford to do so. Education is the main way to increase peoples awareness of ecosystem services and get more people involved in their protection.