Imaginary Trend’s Post

Indigenous communities are at the forefront of climate adaptation and heritage preservation, exemplified by practices like cultural burning, which our technical lead, Alan Williams, champions the longevity of these practises in recent publications. As our projects increasingly intersect with the new southwest Renewable Energy Zone, particularly in and around the World-heritage listed Willandra Lakes Region, we prioritise extensive community consultation and collaboration. By ensuring Indigenous voices are central to decision-making processes regarding ancestral lands, we embrace co-design principles and methods. This inclusive approach is essential for safeguarding the World- heritage values of significant cultural and natural landscapes, such as the Willandra Lakes Region, which is a relict lake system. Here, the sediments, geomorphology, and soils hold an exceptional record of Indigenous resilience spanning 40,000 years of extreme climate events. Through our initiatives, we uphold the integrity of this invaluable natural heritage while supporting projects aimed at responsible environmental stewardship outcomes. #EMMHeritage #CreatingOpportunities #AboriginalHeritage

Please share this survey widely with listserves as we want to make sure to include people from all areas of life, community members, researchers, policy makers, and more! It is super short and fast! I am part of ICARP IV, an Arctic research planning initiative developing priorities for the next 10 years. This impacts all Arctic nations, Indigenous Peoples, and the world. I am specifically supporting a team looking at sustainability. We have a survey and want your input!    The survey is: “Understanding the dynamics and resilience of Arctic social-ecological systems to foster a sustainable future”   https://lnkd.in/esUWPE8u #Arctic #Indigenous #community #sustainability #environment #ice #ecology #glacier #economy #built

#EcologicalBelongingFriday 🌿 Listen to the whispers of wisdom carried on the winds of generations past. Reflect on the timeless lessons about nature bestowed upon you by older (and younger) generations, and contemplate how they continue to shape your reverence for the Earth. 🌎 Want more reflections like this? Subscribe to the Ecological Belonging newsletter and explore the EB Hub (ecological-belonging.org) #EcologicalBelonging #FridayEBTip

The #Cost of #damage caused by such a #selfish #lack of #concern by #mankind on the #Environment. The abundance of natural, forests and the sub-soil mineral resources are riches worth fighting for. It is for these reasons that, one could begin to ask the question, “why do humans trample over these resources today as if they do not matter or as if they are limitless in quantity?” Perhaps the most important question on every lips would be “how can this environmental conservation be achieved?” shall humans transform their environment into desolate landscapes, which holds no promise for humankind? Or, shall they strive to bequeath onto posterity a rich and promising environment very much reminiscent of what they inherited from their ancestors barely a few centuries down the line? Does the earth actually possess the carrying capacity and the resilience to support more people indefinitely? These questions obviously push humans to the man-nature conflict, which translates into the environment and development nexus. However, humans have unfortunately lived through time with the doctrinal philosophy of the virtues of science and technology, which strengthen their belief in their capacity to manipulate the environment for their own benefit in the mistaken notion that they are firmly in control of their own destiny. In so doing, they have placed themselves above the environment. Consequently, this prolonged misuse of the environment has come along with a price of mankind’s ignorance and failure on their side of the bargain to conserve the environment. So, man cannot fail to consider the effects on people’s lives of environmental deterioration, current models of development and the throwaway culture. Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species, which mankind will never know, which their children will never see, because they have been lost forever. The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity. The cost of the damage caused by such selfish lack of concern is much greater than the economic benefits to be obtained. Where certain species are destroyed or seriously harmed, the values involved are incalculable. Humans can be silent witnesses to terrible injustices if they think that they can obtain significant benefits by making the rest of humanity, present and future, pay the extremely high costs of environmental deterioration.

The #cost of #damage #caused by such a #selfish #lack of concern by mankind on the #Environment. The abundance of natural, forests and the sub-soil mineral resources are riches worth fighting for. It is for these reasons that, one could begin to ask the question, “why do humans trample over these resources today as if they do not matter or as if they are limitless in quantity?” Perhaps the most important question on every lips would be “how can this environmental conservation be achieved?” shall humans transform their environment into desolate landscapes, which holds no promise for humankind? Or, shall they strive to bequeath onto posterity a rich and promising environment very much reminiscent of what they inherited from their ancestors barely a few centuries down the line? Does the earth actually possess the carrying capacity and the resilience to support more people indefinitely? These questions obviously push humans to the man-nature conflict, which translates into the environment and development nexus. However, humans have unfortunately lived through time with the doctrinal philosophy of the virtues of science and technology, which strengthen their belief in their capacity to manipulate the environment for their own benefit in the mistaken notion that they are firmly in control of their own destiny. In so doing, they have placed themselves above the environment. Consequently, this prolonged misuse of the environment has come along with a price of mankind’s ignorance and failure on their side of the bargain to conserve the environment. So, man cannot fail to consider the effects on people’s lives of environmental deterioration, current models of development and the throwaway culture. Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species, which mankind will never know, which their children will never see, because they have been lost forever. The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity. The cost of the damage caused by such selfish lack of concern is much greater than the economic benefits to be obtained. Where certain species are destroyed or seriously harmed, the values involved are incalculable. Humans can be silent witnesses to terrible injustices if they think that they can obtain significant benefits by making the rest of humanity, present and future, pay the extremely high costs of environmental deterioration.

A quote by David Abram often comes to mind: "...our bodies have formed themselves in delicate reciprocity with the manifold textures, sounds, and shapes of an animate earth — our eyes have evolved in subtle interaction with other eyes, as our ears are attuned by their very structure to the howling of wolves and the honking of geese. To shut ourselves off from these other voices, to continue by our lifestyles to condemn these other sensibilities to the oblivion of extinction, is to rob our own senses of their integrity, and to rob our minds of their coherence. We are human only in contact, and conviviality, with what is not human..." Perhaps the biggest pitfall of the Anthropocene has been the narrative that the non-human world is not alive, not sentient, not animate—merely there for humanity to use as material resources. Yet, one only needs to softly walk on the Panchgani Tableland to experience how untrue this is. Having been there myself, seeing it dance in different colors across seasons, being home to endemic species of fauna, and serving the community around it, the Tableland is loud with life. However, over the last few decades, the Tableland has been in a precarious state due to competing livelihoods and unchecked commercialization for entertainment. Over these decades, individuals from various disciplines—especially law and ecological science—have come together to save the Tableland. This note documents their innovative approach and highlights that collaborative efforts hold potential to begin remedying the rampant environmental crises of our times. https://lnkd.in/gdmUNpPs

We live in an interconnected world where healthy ecosystems are the backbone of our economy, health, and well-being. Neglecting our planet means jeopardizing our own future. It's time to take action and embrace sustainability, conservation, and eco-friendly practices. #MargaretMead #Sustainabilty #Environment #Anthropologist #EsterIndustries

The Island Experiment: Can Humans Rewild Nature? Image by Alain Audet from Pixabay Rewilding the planet https://lnkd.in/ekquudrw By Aisling Irwin Marker Wadden is a fascinating ecological experiment in the Netherlands. Built since 2016, this man-made archipelago in the Markermeer Lake was created from dredged sand and mud. Though it may look like a natural paradise, Marker Wadden is entirely engineered to revive a dead lake. Its seven islands, surrounded by dunes and beaches, are now home to diverse plants, birds, and other wildlife. Scientists see it as a "living laboratory," offering valuable insights into ecological restoration and rewilding. However, the project faces challenges, including the islands slowly sinking into the lake. Despite this, Marker Wadden remains a unique blend of nature and human ingenuity, serving as a model for future environmental restoration efforts. #WesternCanadaReason #wecanreason #criticalthinking #skeptics #science

Check out my latest blog post, "Preserving Change," and what it means for the National Park Service to protect "unimpaired" the park's dynamic natural landscapes. https://lnkd.in/g3akf8_p

A new perspective piece out today! As part of a special journal issue on how to “survive the Anthropocene”, this new article by myself and Francine McCarthy argues that we can address a lot of the problems associated with the Anthropocene, including climate, biodiversity, and social justice crises, with a simple meal. We describe the “Anthropocene meal” as it might play out in Toronto; a peaceful and pleasant dining experience by the Don River, featuring invasive garlic mustard, salmon from the river, wild rice, and sumac tea brewed in river water. The simplicity of the meal belies the complexity of reaching that point; urban infrastructure would need to be improved to make the Don River easily accessible and pleasant / quiet to sit beside. Ecosystem health would need to be improved to ensure that the food and water were safe to consume. Public attitudes may need to shift to actually convince people that it’s alright to partake in this safe and pleasant experience. While there’s no “solution” per se to the Anthropocene condition, as many conditions, especially species loss and invasions, cannot be reversed, we argue that overcoming the three barriers of urban design, ecosystem health, and cultural attitudes, would go a long way towards ameliorating it. https://lnkd.in/gVenNKVg