GLOBES Book Club News
November 17, 2011
GLOBES Book Club features "Forest Dreams, Forest Nightmares" by Nancy Langston
This first book by ecologist-turned-environmental historian Nancy Langston of the University of Wisconsin-Madison examines the causes of the forest health crisis on western national forests and their subsequent ecological collapse during the early years of Forestry management.
Dr. Langston describes early training experiences that shaped her current work, "My initial training was as an ecologist rather than a historian. While on a National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship at the University of Washington, I researched the evolutionary ecology of Carmine bee-eaters nesting along the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. My experiences in African conservation persuaded me that to understand (and reverse) environmental degradation, we needed to pay much closer attention to human communities. Understanding the historic roots of environmental change became my primary research focus."
The first book club meeting will be held Tues, Nov. 29 at noon, with a location to be announced.
For more information contact Book Club chairman Craig Kinnear at ckinnear@nd.edu
February 7, 2011
GLOBES announces interdisciplinary book club
GLOBES fellow Peter Levi has organized a GLOBES Book Club for Spring Semester 2011. The intention is to increase the dialogue between disciplines and address topical issues from multiple perspectives. Participation from GLOBES fellows, graduate students, and faculty from departments throughout the University is welcome. The group will meet over the lunch hour every 3-4 weeks in the Founders Room at Geddes Hall beginning Monday, Feb. 7 at noon. Future meeting dates are Feb. 28, March 21, and April 11.
The first book assignment is "An Ethics of Biodiversity: Christianity, Ecology, and the Variety of Life" by Kevin O'Brien (2010).
Book Description: Life on earth is wildly diverse, but the future of that diversity is now in question. Through environmentally destructive farming practices, ever-expanding energy use, and the development and homogenization of land, human beings are responsible for unprecedented reductions in the variety of life forms around us. Estimates suggest that species extinctions caused by humans occur at up to 1,000 times the natural rate, and that one of every twenty species on the planet could be eradicated by 2060. "An Ethics of Biodiversity" argues that these facts should inspire careful reflection and action in Christian churches, which must learn from earth's vast diversity in order to help conserve the natural and social diversity of our planet. Bringing scientific data into conversation with theological tradition, the book shows that biodiversity is a point of intersection between faith and ethics, social justice and environmentalism, science and politics, global problems and local solutions. "An Ethics of Biodiversity" offers a set of tools for students, environmentalists, and people of faith to think critically about how human beings can live with and as part of the variety of life in God's creation.
If you are interested in participating, please email Peter Levi (plevi@nd.edu) and he will add your name to the distribution list for reading assignments and meeting notices.