Contents
FOREWORD by Bill McKibben
PREFACE
INTERCONNECTIONS
Catching an Epiphany
What Can I Do?
Arrival of an Alien
London in My Life
Galápagos
Human Borders and Nature
There’s a Lot to Learn
Elephants of the Sea
The Thrill of Seeing Ants for What They Are
The Case for Keeping Wild Tigers
How Little We Know
The Power of Diversity
Owning Up to Our Ignorance
A Walk in a Rain Forest
Megadams
Global Warming
Why We Must Act on Global Warming
Ecological Footprints
A Boost for Biodiversity
Learning from Nature
Near the End of Life
Learning to Slow Down
ECONOMICS AND POLITICS
The Hubris of Global Economics
The Ecosystem as Capital
Ecologists and Economists Unite!
Economic Fallacy
A Progress Indicator That’s Real
Endless Growth—An Impossible Dream
Three Economists
Economics and the Third World
Consumption as a Deliberate Goal
Assigning a Value to Nature
Toward More National Economies
The Wall Street Journal’s Insane Criteria
Following a Different Path
The True Price of a Tree
Plundering the Seas
Shifting Political Perspectives
Lessons from Humanity’s Birthplace
True Wealth
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INFORMATION
Science and Technology Are Still in Their Infancy
Biotechnology: A Geneticist’s Personal Perspective
It Always Costs
The Illusory Oil Change
Nuclear Menus (Or, Eating in the Nuclear Age)
The Prostitution of Academia
Live by the Box, Perish by the Box
A Humbling Message of Ants and Men
Infoglut and Its Consequences
Misusing Language
The Really Real
Television’s Real Message
Virtual Reality
The Hidden Messages
Are These Two Reporters on the Same Planet?
Why a Warmer World Won’t Be a Better World
SCIENCE AND ETHICS
Genetics after Auschwitz
The Final Dance on Racism’s Grave
Through Different Eyes
The Temptation to Tamper
The Pain of Animals
Are There No Limits?
A BIOCENTRIC VIEW
Why the Bravest Position Is Biocentrism
Borrowing from Children
Making Waves
Teaching the Wrong Lessons
Losing Interest in Science
A Buddhist Way to Teach Kids Ecology
The System and the Ecosystem
Why Sterile School Yards Are a Waste
The Invisible Civilization
Haida Gwaii and My Home
Reflections While Backpacking
LEADERS, ROLE MODELS, AND SUCCESS STORIES
The New Leaders
Village Power Wins Victories in India
A Heroic Shepherd
Grass-Roots Groups
A Woman in Science
Young People
Monteverde and Children
Child Power
Germany—An Inspiring Example
Water and a Canadian Scientist
One Logger and His Forest
Philosopher-King
A New Kind of Political Leader
Fisheries That Flourish
One Farmer Really Close to the Soil
EPILOGUE
REFERENCES
INDEX
CREDITS