2000-2001

Nature's Birthmark: The Separate World of Ecology

Wednesday, December 6, 2000 - 12:30pm to 2:00pm

Prof. Sagoff explored the prospects of ecology as an environmental science. He argued that nature has no separate order, direction, organization or design for ecologists to discover, asserting that those who study the natural history of places to understand their differences – not those who fruitlessly attempt to discern uniformmities among them – help society to appreciate and therefore protect the natural world. 

Commentator: 
Jim Chen, JD
Law School, University of Minnesota

The Ethics of Introduced Species

Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 11:30am to 1:00pm

Prof. Shrader-Frechette focused on the controversy over introduced species such as zebra mussels, kudzu, brown tree snakes and other non-indigenous species (NIS) that have disrupted native ecosystems and caused billions of dollars in damage. She argued that there is no comprehensive, predictive theory of invasibility and adaptive dynamics that might guide ecological decision-making regarding NIS. She then laid out the legal and ethical reasons for severe restrictions on NIS.  

Subscribe to 2000-2001