Archive for the ‘Nature & Ecology’ Category
A Migration Celebration
Saturday, May 19th, 2012Some of you have undoubtably noticed my lack of presence over the past several weeks on the various Stream channels I participate in throughout the day. Whereas my cessation of postings on Google Plus and Twitter might be a relief to some of you, there is a logical reason that I’ve gone missing — I have turned my thoughts and gaze outwards to the physical world, shifting my focus away from the virtual world of tech startups and online social connections.
Why on Earth would I do this? It is spring migration!
The past several weeks, my wife April and I have been taking in the spectacle of animal migration — primarily birds. We’ve done this together each year for more than two decades. We are birders and proud of it! Read more »
The Wilder Side of Me
Saturday, May 19th, 2012From the title you may assume that this post will wax ineloquently about my party lifestyle (which I don’t have), possibly sharing some links to Facebook photos that I probably should have never set free into the InterWebs. You would be mistaken.
This post is a celebration of life — literally. It is a celebration of the wonders of the natural world and my seemingly innate connection to it from an early age. It is an autobiographical essay about how I become a naturalist and ecologist.
Although the vast majority of readers of my blog know me as an InterWeb technologist and technological futurist, I am as much a naturalist as I am a technologist. To me, the study of the natural world, the drive to understand the intimate connections of the Web of Life, and my fascination with the complex adaptive systems that power our ecosphere, provide me with unique insights into the technological challenges our species faces. Thus, being a naturalist makes me a better technologist and futurist. Read more »
The Ecosphere And the Economy
Friday, December 9th, 2011One of the many joys I periodically experience is that aha moment of seeing connections within and between systems. As a trained scientist with a graduate degree in business, my insights often transcend the myopic blinders of those who remain oblivious to the larger connections on Earth. One such aha moment I had almost 20-years ago was that of the relationship between the economy and the ecosphere.
Life Is About Complex Adaptive Systems
What was the impetus behind this aha moment? In 1995 I read the first edition of the book, Complexity: Life at the Edge of Chaos by Roger Lewin. It changed my perspective on humanity’s relationship to the ecosphere. Read more »
The Answer is Ebooks
Monday, June 7th, 2010One of numerous variables that are often overlooked in calculating the environmental impacts of any product replacement is ecosystem services. It is an exceedingly difficult variable to include as it encompasses additional subvariables, many of which are difficult to fully quantify. Read more »
Big Snow Equals Global Cooling, What?
Friday, February 12th, 2010
Record lake effect snowstorm (36.6″) in South Bend, Indiana. January 7 -8, 2011. Credit: Dr. Jeff Masters’ WunderBlog
It’s Chemical Free and Not Tested on Animals!
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010As a trained scientist, there are two phrases that stir up my ire every time I see them in marketing copy: “chemical free” and “not tested on animals.” I know that may seem odd, but with our woefully-gullible and science-challenged populace, this is a real issue to me.
I was planning to post an article this morning about the Semantic Web and Web 3.0 but this gnawed at me as I just ran into these phrases once again. So, I decided to write a quick rant. I’ll post the more serious stuff in a week or two.
Okay, my rant is now officially beginning… Read more »
The Hot Air About Global Climate Change
Monday, January 4th, 2010When it comes to science, the scientific process, and specifically the climate issue, most people are unfortunately ignorant. Case in point. The proper term is global climate change—not global warming. Read more »