The last tree

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We ask what the Easter Islanders thought as they cut the last tree down, implying that they were somehow stupider than us, that we would certainly recognize the value of a resource and preserve it before it got to that point.

But species are going extinct every day and even many common species are in trouble.

pinyon jay

Pinyon Jay

Pinyon (Pinus edulis), for example, is a very important tree species in the southwestern US with hundreds of dependent species.  It’s remarkably common – the co-dominant species in pinyon-juniper woodlands which is the third largest vegetation cover type in the US.

In the last decade, incredible numbers of pinyon have died and scientists are pretty sure that pinyon is going to die out across much of its range within my lifetime.  It’s all due to climate change induced drought, but we aren’t doing anything significant to address climate change and discussions of assisted migration or other conservation strategies for many species are just that, discussions.  The plans and most certainly the money for such projects will come far too late for most species.  Many people are still holding out on technology that is very unlikely to save us.

Under patriarchy, women are not individuals

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From Anaïs Nin’s A Spy in the House of Love:

He turned his eyes fully upon her, now a glacial blue; they were impersonal and seemed to gaze beyond her at all women who had dissolved into one, but who might, at any moment again become dissolved into all.  This was the gaze Sabina had always encountered in Don Juan, everywhere, it was the gaze she mistrusted.  It was the alchemy of desire fixing itself upon the incarnation of all women into Sabina for a moment but as easily by a second process able to alchemize Sabina into many others.

What I’ve Noticed: Politicians don’t get economics edition

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AZ governor and strong supporter of the bad-for-business anti-immigrant law, Jan Brewer, lies about immigrants and her own past.

Anyone who grows such lovely hydrangeas couldn’t possibly be a spy!

Knowing a little history goes a long way towards refuting people who try to rewrite it.  It could also prevent our politicians from making the same mistakes that were made in the mid-1930s.

AZ cuts benefits for the mentally ill at the same time they cut services for homeless.  Stupid stupid stupid.

Public transportation helps the un- and underemployed while decreasing our oil use. So of course we’re cutting public transportation budgets.

Cap & trade won’t be as effective as population reduction.

Statistics is often taught to scientists as a set of “tests in a toolbox.”  But thinking about why you’re doing what you’re doing gets you a lot further.

We tell our own citizens to eat more fruits and veggies to be healthier.  So why don’t we apply that same philosophy to developing countries?

It’s not that we can’t afford clean energy.  It’s that we’re spending the money so oil industry executives can live like this.

The new “chick lit” is not about getting a man.  It’s about getting a life.

A fun mathematical theorem you likely haven’t heard of.

Lindsay Beyerstein takes John Byrne to task for shoddy and inflammatory science journalism.

The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard takes America’s newspapers to task for not calling torture torture.

Forced marriage isn’t just an issue for women.

Rojasianthe superba

Twice the fire

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AP Photo/Matt York

The fire doubled in size yesterday and the Incident Management Team expects it will take weeks to fight.

I’m supposed to move this Thursday – I’m hoping that the smoke doesn’t get too bad in town and that we don’t get evacuated.

Fire season

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Shultz Fire

The town I live in is surrounded by forests that are far too dense due to decades of fire suppression. May and June are warm, very dry, and windy. This combination makes for fast, hot fires. The picture above is from a fire that started about two hours ago.