Author. Thinker. Other things.
The story goes like this: a young cashier gently suggests to an older woman that she bring her own grocery bags next time because plastic is bad for the planet. The woman smiles and says, “We didn’t have the green thing in my day.” Then she begins listing everything her generation did before “sustainability” became... Continue Reading →
The male White Bellbird Procnias albus. Nature's answer to KISS. Photo: Hector Bottai, 2019. Imagine strolling under the lush, deep green canopy of the Amazon Rainforest. You are surrounded by a vibrant mix of bird calls - macaws, hoatzins, the musician wren. Then, one voice cuts through the symphony with the power of a rock... Continue Reading →
The New Dawn rose, Plant Patent 1 Photo: 1971Markus; Wikimedia Commons One of the things I love about working at the Linda Hall Library is the frequency of which I'm exposed, often unexpectedly, to really cool books. One book, or rather a series of books, is the collection of United States plant patents from the... Continue Reading →
Photo: Aaron Pomerantz For my last post of 2023, I’m paying tribute to one of my favorite birds: the Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin). Along the verdant waterways of the Amazon, a bird that redefines the term 'living fossil' flaps its ungainly way through the foliage. The Hoatzin, the scruffy Goth of the avian world, is a... Continue Reading →
It seems incredible that it was three weeks ago that I dragged my overstuffed bags past the sun room and caught a final glimpse of the frog pond I created, observed, fretted over, and about which I’ve shared in couple of times in blog posts. As we gear up for a new life in Kansas... Continue Reading →
Today, June 22, is World Rainforest Day. It's a day I'm happy to observe. Over the years, I've had the great good fortune of visiting, and occasionally working in, some of the world's most majestic rainforests. The arching canopies tinting everything beneath with a wash of green, the the constant hum of insects punctuated occasionally... Continue Reading →
The recent post I wrote about planetary issues was so popular that I've decided to do another one. Like before, it's hard to keep up, because things are changing rapidly. And, like before, much of the news - frankly - isn't great, although within that, there's reason for hope. Ocean Temperatures. The world's oceans have... Continue Reading →
In case you missed it, International Bat Appreciation Day was April 17. It's easy to overlook, crammed up against Earth Day on April 22 (today, in fact). The bat appreciation celebration was founded by Bat Conservation International (BCI) in 1982 to recognize the importance of protecting them. And they truly do deserve our appreciation. Far... Continue Reading →
Every few days I sit down to write a post on what's going on in the global environment and discover more that's happening. But no wonder. Planetary conditions are changing rapidly. According to the United Nations, the human population hit 8 billion on 15 November 2022. The live calculator "World-o-Meter" shows that in the intervening... Continue Reading →
The beginning of a new year often makes people philosophical, thinking about what has or hasn't worked the year before and what they resolve to improve. Most of this is positive, at least for me. Lately, though, and I imagine also for many, it's getting easier to let those thoughts become tinged with concern for... Continue Reading →
ERIC DORFMAN 