The mind-bending probability of our existence | Sean B. Carroll: Full Interview

 It could have gone very differently...

The mind-bending probability of our existence | Sean B. Carroll: Full Interview | Big Think

What if your existence hinged on a single cosmic accident that took place millions of years ago? Biologist Sean B. Carroll examines the chain of events that made humanity’s domination as a species possible.

From the specific chemistry of an asteroid to Earth’s shifting atmosphere, Carroll unpacks how a series of fortunate events made our planet the perfect cradle for mammals.

...and, as for your individual existence once humans exist? You are one it 70 trillion!

00:00:00 Part 1: The role of chance in the creation of life

00:00:16 What are the odds that life exists on any given planet?

00:00:48 What developments led to life on Earth?

00:01:58 Where do you begin our origin story?

00:04:51 What is unique about the last 3 million years on Earth?

00:06:04 What mass extinctions has Earth faced?

00:07:33 What events allowed humans to flourish?

00:15:37 Why was the K-Pg asteroid so devastating?

00:18:25 How did life on Earth rebound from the K-Pg asteroid?

00:19:57 How much have we evolved since the age of hunter-gatherers?

00:24:16 Are we lucky to be here?

00:27:20 Part 2: The resilience of nature.

00:27:30 Would nature heal itself if humans ceased to exist?

00:29:36 How much of an impact have humans had on Earth?

00:33:16 Can we think of Earth as an organism?

00:37:16 What are the “Serengeti rules?”

00:39:48 What is the leading cause of biodiversity loss?

00:46:56 How resilient is nature?

00:51:12 What did COVID teach us about nature’s ability to rebound?

00:53:09 Why is biodiversity critical to human flourishing?

00:54:04 What can we do to protect both us and the planet?

01:00:39 Is there time for the planet to rebound?

01:04:42 PART 3: The evolution of human experience.

01:04:52 Has the quality of human life improved over time?

01:06:27 What impact has medical science had on humanity?

01:08:23 How have agricultural advances changed lives?

01:10:12 Why is it important to understand the rules of life?

01:09:14 How are our bodies regulated?

#environment #nature #biodiversity #ecology

Native Knowledge: What Ecologists Are Learning from Indigenous People - Yale E360

From Alaska to Australia, scientists are turning to the knowledge of traditional people for a deeper understanding of the natural world. What they are learning is helping them discover more about everything from melting Arctic ice, to protecting fish stocks, to controlling wildfires.

While he was interviewing Inuit elders in Alaska to find out more about their knowledge of beluga whales and how the mammals might respond to the changing Arctic, researcher Henry Huntington lost track of the conversation as the hunters suddenly switched from the subject of belugas to beavers. 

It turned out though, that the hunters were still really talking about whales. There had been an increase in beaver populations, they explained, which had reduced spawning habitat for salmon and other fish, which meant less prey for the belugas and so fewer whales.

“It was a more holistic view of the ecosystem,” said Huntington. And an important tip for whale researchers. “It would be pretty rare for someone studying belugas to be thinking about freshwater ecology.”

Around the globe, researchers are turning to what is known as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to fill out an understanding of the natural world. TEK is deep knowledge of a place that has been painstakingly discovered by those who have adapted to it over thousands of years. “People have relied on this detailed knowledge for their survival,” Huntington and a colleague wrote in an article on the subject. “They have literally staked their lives on its accuracy and repeatability…”

more: Native Knowledge: What Ecologists Are Learning from Indigenous People - Yale E360

thoughts for a friend –

thoughts for a friend  –

maintaining a healthy relationship with the environment, respecting animals and nature, not over-using your "resources" could be a good theme!

developing respect for and reverence of "Mother Nature" and finding our place in the larger scheme of things... Finding balance! We have much to learn from "the old ways" as it seems that we have lost our way in the world of capitalism and exploitation. In these current times it would be good to remember that there are no jobs on a dead planet! So, I would say taking our place as part of a family rather than as overlords, and to be Stewards of the planet, would be good :)

One ecosystem of which we are a part - we depend on it for our very lives - we are not separate from Nature. We have a responsibility to help restore and maintain a balance, not only to survive as a species but for the good of all life, our brother and sister plants animals sky water earth... To walk the right path in order to be true human beings and not just a plague upon the planet.

14 wolves were released into a park - No one expected the miracle that the wolves would bring! 🐺

14 wolves were released into a park - No one expected the miracle that the wolves would bring! 🐺
video on Facebook
via Appreciate

UN experts denounce 'myth' pesticides are necessary to feed the world | Environment | The Guardian

Report warns of catastrophic consequences and blames manufacturers for ‘systematic denial of harms’ and ‘unethical marketing tactics’

The idea that pesticides are essential to feed a fast-growing global population is a myth, according to UN food and pollution experts.

A new report, being presented to the UN human rights council on Wednesday, is severely critical of the global corporations that manufacture pesticides, accusing them of the “systematic denial of harms”, “aggressive, unethical marketing tactics” and heavy lobbying of governments which has “obstructed reforms and paralysed global pesticide restrictions”.

The report says pesticides have “catastrophic impacts on the environment, human health and society as a whole”, including an estimated 200,000 deaths a year from acute poisoning. Its authors said: “It is time to create a global process to transition toward safer and healthier food and agricultural production.”

The world’s population is set to grow from 7 billion today to 9 billion in 2050. The pesticide industry argues that its products – a market worth about $50bn (£41bn) a year and growing – are vital in protecting crops and ensuring sufficient food supplies.

“It is a myth,” said Hilal Elver, the UN’s special rapporteur on the right to food. “Using more pesticides is nothing to do with getting rid of hunger. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), we are able to feed 9 billion people today. Production is definitely increasing, but the problem is poverty, inequality and distribution.”

Elver said many of the pesticides are used on commodity crops, such as palm oil and soy, not the food needed by the world’s hungry people: “The corporations are not dealing with world hunger, they are dealing with more agricultural activity on large scales.”

The new report, which is co-authored by Baskut Tuncak, the UN’s special rapporteur on toxics, said: “While scientific research confirms the adverse effects of pesticides, proving a definitive link between exposure and human diseases or conditions or harm to the ecosystem presents a considerable challenge. This challenge has been exacerbated by a systematic denial, fuelled by the pesticide and agro-industry, of the magnitude of the damage inflicted by these chemicals, and aggressive, unethical marketing tactics…”

more: UN experts denounce 'myth' pesticides are necessary to feed the world | Environment | The Guardian

Starving polar bear video exposes climate change impact | #climate

  Starving polar bear video exposes climate change impact - YouTube

Published on Dec 9, 2017 Video filmed in the Canadian Arctic provides graphic evidence of the impact of climate change on polar bears in the region, showing an emaciated animal scrounging for food on ice-free land. The footage was recorded by the conservation group Sea Legacy during a late summer expedition in Baffin Island. 'My entire Sea Legacy team was pushing through their tears and emotions while documenting this dying polar bear,' the photographer Paul Nicklen wrote on social media.

Save the Grouse! Tell Sec. Zinke to Protect the Bird, the Herd, and the West. | Help Wildlife, Protect the Environment, Support Nature Conservation, Save the Planet

The sage grouse is an "indicator species" -- thriving sage grouse populations signal a healthy habitat for the 350 species that call the sagebrush home. But Sec. Zinke wants to dismantle plans to protect it.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Some people find it majestic; others think it’s funny-looking. But across the West, the iconic sage grouse is also known as an "indicator species": a thriving sage grouse population is a sign of a healthy sagebrush habitat. In recent years, the sage grouse was careening towards extinction -- until ranchers, conservationists, and industry workers reached a compromise to protect it.

It was a historic conservation success story. In 2015, Western stakeholders reached a bipartisan, win-win agreement that strengthened protections for the bird and the 350 other species that also rely on its habitat. The plan minimized the risk of wildfires and gave ranchers and landowners incentives to preserve sagebrush habitat.

Now Interior Secretary Zinke wants to gut that plan to please his buddies in the oil and mining industries -- and he’s only giving the public three weeks to comment on his plans.

Zinke is treating the sage grouse the same way he’s approaching national monuments like Bears Ears -- he’s ignoring public opinion and throwing out years of hard work, all to benefit the oil, gas, and mining industries.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is accepting comments from now until December 1st. Add yours to speak up for the sage grouse and its habitat.

SIGN THE PETITION: Save the Grouse! Tell Sec. Zinke to Protect the Bird, the Herd, and the West. | Help Wildlife, Protect the Environment, Support Nature Conservation, Save the Planet

this... is VERY ... strange!

Tell Congress to protect our public lands – #RESIST Trump's agenda

Resist Trump's Monumental Rollback

The threat to unravel protections for Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument is one step closer to reality. After a rushed review, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced he recommends eliminating protections for portions of Bears Ears.

An attack on one national monument is an attack on all of our public lands. If all areas in the current Bears Ears National Monument is no longer protected, what is fate of the 26 national monuments also under review, our national parks, our wildlife refuges, and other public lands and waters?

It’s clear that the Department of the Interior and the Trump administration have a common goal -- auctioning off our public lands and waters to those who put profits before our historical, cultural, and natural heritage. Now, Congress must step up to protect our special places.

Tell your members of Congress commit to protecting our public lands and waters for generations to come.

I am appalled by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s recommendation to eliminate protections for portions of Bears Ears Bears Ears National Monument. 

It’s clear that the Department of the Interior and the Trump administration have a common goal -- auctioning off our public lands and waters to those who put profits before our historical, cultural, and natural heritage. Now, I look to you to do what this administration will not -- to protect our special places for generations to come. 
 Even in the rush to open up our public lands to destruction, over a million people have weighed in with Secretary Zinke to tell him to keep our public lands in public hands and to protect them for future generations. I hope that you will listen to your constituents like me, and stand up for our special places.

For over a century, Congress has played an important role in safeguarding and preserving our lands, waters, and cultural and historical sites for all people to enjoy. This slow motion threat to America’s national parks, public lands and oceans could undo this work. 

After years of work by Tribal Nations  -- including the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Ute Indian Tribe -- and with overwhelming support by people across the country, Bears Ears National Monument became a reality. 

These lands are vital to tribal communities across the Colorado Plateau as a place of subsistence, spirituality, and healing. These lands are home to tens of thousands of important cultural sites, including the cliff dwellings, villages, and rock art panels of the Ancestral Puebloan people. We cannot turn our back on protecting invaluable places like this. 

Based on Interior Secretary Zinke’s recommendation for Bears Ears, the threat to protections for the 26 national monuments still under review by the DOI has never been more real. These are extraordinary places that showcase our country’s wide-ranging geography and cultural history. Spanning two oceans and 12 states, these national monuments feature ancient coral reefs, giant sequoias, expansive deserts, snow-capped mountains, breathtaking canyons, flower-filled plains, red rock wonders, and wild forests. 

Our national monuments tell the stories of cultures dating back millennia, continue to be a sacred place for many Native American Tribes, and offer people endless opportunities to experience the great outdoors. We cannot allow our public lands to be opened to development and changed forever. 

 Our parks, monuments, and other public lands define who we are as a nation. Please be a leader,  stand with the public, and protect our  public lands and waters.

Tell Congress to protect our public lands


MORE PETITIONS –

Make a public comment to protect national monuments from Trump! | Greenpeace

Bears Ears: We Must Protect This Spectacular, Sacred American Monument

Urge Secretary Zinke to Protect our National Monuments - Earthjustice

petitions at "what next" news & random blog

click for the latest petitions on this blog >>> tag="petition"

PETITIONS

Current Action Alerts | Defenders of Wildlife

CURRENT ACTION ALERTS

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AGENDA for the next adminstration 2017-2021 (PDF)
Defenders’ expectations for the incoming Trump administration’s environmental priorities.

GO >> Current Action Alerts | Defenders of Wildlife

Golden Eagle :: "!!! an eagle was just in the giant oak by our patio … just as i posted the Oceti Sakowin Camp video" | Red Shouldered Hawks

whats more: "hawk chased the eagle" – inspired by this event

!!! an eagle was just in the giant oak by our patio - the hawks* which are nesting in a pine at the corner of the house had started calling. i looked out the window and saw a hawk landing in the tree, then noticed the gigantic eagle sitting about 40 feet away from my face. wow! ---- happened just as i posted the Oceti Sakowin Camp video (below) - I'll take it as a good sign. i will wander out back in a few minutes, but the hawks have now chased him/her off.

--- photos from Golden eagle - Wikipedia

* Red Shouldered Hawks – photos below

Honor The Earth's Oceti Sakowin Camp video –
"Armed police and military are now inside the Oceti Sakowin camp. Around 70 water protectors are still holding their ground."
wiki


(on Facebook) Robert Cherwink - !!! an eagle was just in the giant oak by our...

Golden Eagle –

The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their napes. Immature eagles of this species typically have white on the tail and often have white markings on the wings. Golden eagles use their agility and speed combined with powerful feet and massive, sharp talons to snatch up a variety of prey (mainly hares, rabbits, marmots and other ground squirrels)…

Golden Eagles are widespread! – they are found across the entire Northern Hemisphere! - there are many subspeicies

Subadult, note white in tail (like i have seen here previously)

Golden eagle - Wikipedia

Red Shouldered Hawks –

The red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a medium-sized hawk. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico. Red-shouldered hawks are permanent residents throughout most of their range, though northern birds do migrate, mostly to central Mexico. The main conservation threat to the widespread species is deforestation…

Red-shouldered hawk - Wikipedia

watch this youtube playlist – in mostly #RANDOM order: #eco #video #watchingnow #environment #humanrights #nature #music #various

watch this - YouTube

one of my youtube playlists – "watch this" (227 videos and counting)

there's another one called "watch this too" (another 217) –

;
watch this too - YouTube

Protecting cold water is essential for conserving wild, native fish | Wenatchee Watershed Cold Water Campaign

Protecting cold water is essential for conserving wild, native fish. Check out our Wenatchee Watershed Cold Water Campaign to learn how you can support this grassroots effort to conserve cold water in Washington's Wenatchee River. #coldwater #wildsalmon #wildsteelhead #riverstewards

original post on Facebook

SAY NO TO THESE THREE URANIUM MINES AT GRAND CANYON

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is preparing to issue permits to allow the operation of three uranium mines in greater Grand Canyon watershed. Of course, this would benefit Energy Fuels Resources, Inc., the mining company that's requesting the permits. But what do the rest of us get? Radioactive pollution that threatens human health, wildlife, and ground and surface water.  

Allowing private companies to profit at the expense of public health and the environment is just wrong -- and we can't let it happen.  

Uranium mining creates fine dust containing radioactive particles, lead and arsenic. Because the dust is so fine, it travels far from mines into our waterways, recreation sites and communities. It can increase the risk of lung cancer, birth defects and kidney disease. Uranium mining exacts other costs as well: The federal government has spent billions trying to clean up old uranium mines, and the costs continue to mount. 

The Center for Biological Diversity has been working to end all uranium mining in the greater Grand Canyon region. Stopping these three mines is a very important part of that greater goal, and we need your help to make it happen. 

Please take action below -- tell the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality that you oppose the operation of the Canyon, AZ1 and EZ uranium mines.  

And if you can, join us on Tuesday, Aug. 30 in Flagstaff at Sinagua Middle School to voice your opposition to the issuance of new permits that will allow toxic uranium mining to continue on the rim of Grand Canyon. If you plan to attend, RSVP to Katie Davis.

SIGN NOW: Say No to These Three Uranium Mines at Grand Canyon

Report: 86% of North America's Bird Species Struggling or in Crisis - 33% Facing Extinction - EnviroNews | The Environmental News Specialists

(EnviroNews Nature) — One in three North American bird species are of “high concern” to conservationists with an additional 50% struggling badly, according to the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI). The group’s annual report The State of North America’s Birds 2016 makes for grim reading by suggesting a mere 14% of bird species in the USA, Canada and Mexico are doing well. Sea birds are the biggest losers according to the study, which covers 1,154 species and contains contributions from over 40 conservation groups. More than half of the continent’s 54 sea species are “in crisis” with bird numbers declining by more than 70% since the 1950s. The research concludes that already-small sea populations are “severely threatened” by invasive predators on nesting islands as well as “accidental bycatch” by commercial fishing vessels. Pollution and climate change are also cited as contributory factors...

more: Report: 86% of North America's Bird Species Struggling or in Crisis - 33% Facing Extinction - EnviroNews | The Environmental News Specialists

The Forgotten Climate Solution - Global Landscapes Forum

Natural systems provide obvious but often forgotten solutions: in addition to forests, habitats such as wetlands and grasslands can absorb and store enormous amounts of carbon.

Let’s face it: technological innovation is attractive. It has solved so many of our problems that people have come to view technology as the key to improving society. The world of policy, big business, investment, and venture capital mirrors (and often leads) this perspective. Tech companies dominate the top 10 of the world’s most innovative companies, according to Boston Consulting Group’s most recent report. More broadly, perhaps part of the appeal of “innovation” is that we implicitly associate it with economic progress, at least since the second half of the 20th century.

The Forgotten Climate Solution - Global Landscapes Forum

Cultura Inquieta - Las mejores fotografías de National Geographic en 2015

(and you thought penguins are cute)

...no, but really: some great photos here: Cultura Inquieta - Las mejores fotografías de National Geographic en 2015

Russian Photographer Captures The Cutest Squirrel Photo Session Ever | Bored Panda

Talented Russian nature photographer Vadim Trunov has had close encounters with squirrels before, but this is the first time we’ve seen his photos of squirrels playing or shooting photos of each other! The photographer recently published some photos he’s captured of squirrels that seem to be building snowmen or playing volleyball with nuts.

The truth is a bit different, however – it’s winter, these squirrels are hungry, and they want food! In fact, the ones with the pine cone and the nut are fighting over the winter food, which Trunov left in a clearing so he could photograph the squirrels.

Trunov takes wonderful wildlife photos whether it’s winter or summer – check out his macro nature photography as well!

more photos: Russian Photographer Captures The Cutest Squirrel Photo Session Ever | Bored Panda

macro nature photography

Why the calls of the wild may be more complex than zoologists first thought | Science | The Guardian

Why the calls of the wild may be more complex than zoologists first thought | Science | The Guardian