Author Archives: Norm Benson

The Plundered Planet

Writing on NetGreen News, Paul Mackie, formerly of the World Resources Institute, provides a book review of Paul Collier‘s latest book, The Plundered Planet: Why We Must–and How We Can–Manage Nature for Global Prosperity. In general, he agrees with Oxford Economics Professor Collier’s assertion: “The romantics (environmentalists) are right that we are seriously mismanaging natureContinue reading “The Plundered Planet”

1.4 earths: sustainability and overshoot, or 6 earths and the moon for dessert

I like to think of myself as a good person of the Boy Scout variety–trustworthy, brave, kind, helpful, etc.–except without the homophobia. You probably like to think the same (of yourself, not me). Well, according to the Global Footprint Network’s “Footprint Calculator” it would take six earths if all 6.7 billion of us lived aContinue reading “1.4 earths: sustainability and overshoot, or 6 earths and the moon for dessert”

Comment on a HuffPo column

Here’s a comment I posted on an opinion piece written by Richard Stuebi, The Petroleum Industry: Past the Tipping Point? Interestingly, where it’s the minerals and non-renewable resources that should run out: oil, gold, aluminum, etc.; it’s been the renewable stuff that’s proven to be exhaustible: mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, cedars of Lebanon, gorillas. The paradoxContinue reading “Comment on a HuffPo column”

Postcard from the chaparral

Inspired by a nice layout of red poppies in fair England on the Postcards From K site, I thought I would share these pictures of flowers I took amongst the chaparral forest. I suspect many folks don’t think of flowers in the hot, dry chaparral with its manzanita, chamise, and toyon, but they are thereContinue reading “Postcard from the chaparral”