April 2024 on…
Reading The Best American Science and Nature Writing , 2022 (ed. Ayaba Elizabeth Johnson) with CJS.
So far, as of May 2024, this is a very enjoyable read. I particularly appreciate the efforts of the editor to create a nice progression of topics, giving what is essentially an eclectic sampling of articles a higher level narrative.
September 2024: Nearing the end; still an enjoyable read.
Favorites
After finishing the book, here are my favorites
Top Five Six
- C2 – What Slime Knows. Really gave me a new view of slime molds. I hadn’t realized the degree of intelligence a seemingly simple colonial organism can possess. Offers a counter-narrative to the usual ideas about what is necessary for intelligence.
- !! C7- Rising Groundwater. This is the biggest eye-opener in the book, at least for me. While sea level rise will have very obvious impacts on costal regions, this makes the point that sea water will also cause a rise in ground water and, with or without infiltrating it, will cause a lot of problems for a lot more people than are effected directly by sea level rise. Think corroding water and gas pipes, malfunctioning sewage systems, and failing electical systems. This is one I’ll tell other people about.
- C15: Poisoned—Part I: The Factory. Not a pleasant story. Talks about working conditions in a battery recycling factory, the horrible degree of exposure to lead, and the toll it takes on the workers. Shocking for two reasons: one is that the company behind this is based in Minnesota, and is in theory doing good things (recycling lead from batteries); second, that the industry and factories are regulated, but that in spite of that conditions are horrible.
- !! C25 – Why Combining Farms & Solar Panels Could Transform How We Produce Both Food and Energy. A hopeful and plausible tale about how we can do better quite easily. A win-win. Perspective shifting and positive. I’ll mention this to others.
- : – ) C28 – Beavers Are Firefighters Who Work for Free (Sierra) A perspective shifting article on role beavers can play in making land more resistant to wildfires, and also points out that the autonomy of tribes can allow them to take the forefront in experimenting with more sustainable approaches to environmental problems.
- : – ) C32 – A River Reawakened (Orion). Not a perspective shifter, but just a very pleasant positive piece on what happens when a river is undammed, the problems that need to be addressed, and the rapidity of recovery. This was going to be an honorable mention, but I liked it too much!
Honorable Mentions
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