On "Back from the Edge"
discussing the UMBC title page article "Back from the Edge"
posted almost 12 years ago
I Recently read the front page article for umbc.edu titled "Back from the Edge" and I am concerned with the message it sends. It begins by discussing the "Anthropocene" but fails to elaborate on the implications of the concept. Statements like, "a planetary tipping point in ecology isn’t likely to occur on Earth" send mixed messages.
The ecological tipping point won't be uniformly defined by science because humans impact different environments in different ways and, like the professor said, human impacts must be uniform to define the tipping point. Contrary to the article's suggestion, the tipping point for global ecological stability is looming.
A look at the research on recent declines in global biodiversity makes this exceptionally clear. Articles like this undermine the work of people like Dr. Ellis and the rest of his department by giving people a false sense of security during an age of unprecedented change. The author argues that conservation efforts are misguided. I have serious doubts of the author's knowledge of said conservation efforts. I think it is unfortunate that we are not given the opportunity to comment on these homepage articles.Please comment with your opinions on the subject matter of the article and the format of public presentation if you feel inclined.
