Core ecological issues
Rarely do we hear in the media about the origins of our environmental plight. For the sake of the human future and that of other species, however, we must seek to identify and improve our understanding of the root causes of biodiversity loss and the destruction of our global life support system.
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The problem of "delayed-return" subsistence
The emergence of "delayed-return" hunter-gatherer (DR HG) societes followed the great bulk of human history during which, as far as we know, all people had lived as "immediate-return" (IR) HGs. This may have paved the way for agriculture and civilization.-
Paper in which I challenge claims concerning the pervasiveness of "land management" among hunter-gatherers. Such land management became common with DR societies and may have had serious ecological consequences.
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Following on my prior paper, this one examines the possible role of hunter-gatherer land management in the human move away from sustainability.
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Woodburn coined the terms "immediate-return" and "delayed-return." Emphasis in this popular paper on egalitarianism, though subsistence strategies are at the base of the IR/DR distinction.
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Brief interview with James Suzman, author of Affluence Without Abundance. Interesting comments about time and mindfulness.
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Not sure if the Shoshone described here were IR HGs, but this does illustrate something of the difference between the simplified ways of true (IR) hunter-gatherers and our modern tendencies to pursue "hard work" and "productivity."
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National Geographic account of time spent with the Hadza. Gives a flavor of life in a contemproray immediate-return hunter-gatherer society. (Nine years on, already a bit outdated. See the following Science article.)
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Very good, condensed overview of the current plight of the Hadza. Severe impacts of pastoralists, tourism, etc. Includes a quick look at the nature of research on this remaining immediate-return society.
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A reasonable, brief introduction to the IR/DR distinction. Drawn from various sources.
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Marshall Sahlins' landmark work transformed the way we understand immediate-return societies. Very different from the common vision of hunter-gatherer lifeways.
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The problem of agriculture
Civilization is built on agriculture, arguably a fundamentally unsustainable undertaking. (Even more fundamental seems to have been the emergence in the upper Paleolithic of delayed-return societies. See the relevant links.)-
My own attempt at a concise yet complete overview of the issue. It was then my best guess for where humans went wrong ecolgocically. (My more recent work shows how I failed here to get to the root.)
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By John Zerzan. Insightful look at the catastrophe that is agriculture.
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By soils scientist Peter Salonius, this article looks at the unsustainable nature of the "soil mining" which is agriculture. The topic is rarely addressed.
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"Fertile soil is being lost faster than it can be replenished and will eventually lead to the “topsoil bank” becoming empty."
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Spencer Wells on just a few of the costs of agriculture. (including "diabetes, obesity, mental illness, climate change.")
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The mistake? Agriculture. Jared Diamond provides some of the reasons in this older piece. Oversimplified and rightly criticized, but still worth reading as a cursory introduction.
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The problem of civilization
The evidence suggests civilization itself is inherently unsustainable. Llinks here spark thinking outside the normal confines of civilization. Links may change as emphases shift.-
Concerns the proposed designation of the "Anthropocene" epoch. I find the last two paragraphs particularly insightful.
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Piece in Smithsonian is a potent reminder of why it's so important to decommission all nuclear reactors and weapons.
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Intriguing essay by John Zerzan. Drawing on anthropoligical literature, this traces the human shift to domestication and hence civilization. Highlights the contrast between undomesticated cultures and today's society.
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Wilderness protection, succinctly explained.
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Student run journal (no longer publishing) presenting a radical view of conservation.
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By Gurven and Kaplan, this is a comprehensive analysis of longevity in contemporary hunter-gatherer societies. Probably the most informative document on the subject.
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Blog of Guy McPherson, U. of Ariz. professor emeritus of natural resources and ecology & evolutionary biology. Anti-civilization view with discussion of climate change and a prediction of "near term extinction."
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Beautiful film portraying hunter-gatherer life. Maybe be best film for getting such a glimpse. An aboriginal story from Northern Australia.
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By Kenneth Brower. "It is time for those of us who know wilderness, and who understand the idea of it, to wrest that idea back from its hijackers..." Solid response to writers who have promulgated the "the myth of wilderness" which is itself a myth.
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Large site contains a wealth of information "connecting the dots from wilderness survival to sustainable living."
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Todd Daniel. "We live on a blue marble flying through space. I'm surprised at how many people forget that. Our species and ecosystem are fragile, yet we are systematically destroying it instead of protecting it."
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Richard Reese explores questions similar to some of those discussed here, often through book reviews.
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Valuable site for anyone trying to understand the current wilderness/conservation debate. Based in Australia but relevant to the US and other countries.
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Former project of a student collective at the U. of North Carolina, "a conservation magazine dedicated to spreading the value of the wild in and around us."
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Valuable publication for exploring a range of wilderness, wildlife, and ecological issues.
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Carrying capacity
Some deny that this basic concept of ecological science applies to humans. But we are one of millions of species, a part of the natural world, as much subject to its dictates as any other. (See also the book "Overshoot" on the books page.)-
Old essay of mine sets out a logical proof that we have overshot carrying capacity. It was chosen by Dr. John Wilkins of the Evolving Thoughts blog at scienceblogs.com, for the "carrying capacity" section of his links to "Basic Concepts in Science."
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An quick sketch, my essay lays out the logic to demonstrate that we have never increased human carrying capacity. We have only overshot it. Includes consideration of the unsustainability of agriculture.
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Important 1986 analysis estimated that humans were usurping as much as 40% of all products of terrestrial photosynthesis.
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By Gigi Richard, this is an excellent brief overview, and a good place to start in trying to understand the topic.
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