The Moon in the Nautilus Shell: Discordant Harmonies Reconsidered

Front Cover
OUP USA, Sep 27, 2012 - Nature - 424 pages
Daniel Botkin's Discordant Harmonies (1990) was considered by many to be the classic text of the environmental movement. The book was the first to challenge the then dominant view that nature remained constant over time unless disturbed by human influence. Nature was believed to achieve a form and structure that would persist forever; if disturbed, it would recover, returning to that state of perfect balance. Discordant Harmonies argued that natural ecological systems are constantly fluctuating and our plans, policies, and laws governing the environment must change to reflect this new understanding. The ideas expressed in Discordant Harmonies, considered ahead of their time in 1990, are now timelier than ever. The belief in a balanced nature is alive and well, though those who hold it are constantly confronted by scientific evidence that stands in opposition. In The Moon in the Nautilus Shell: Discordant Harmonies Reconsidered, Botkin brings Discordant Harmonies into the twenty-first century. The book is updated with new research and statistics, case studies on climate change, and a new introduction.
 

Contents

Background to Crisis
97
Evolving Images
155
Resolutions for Our Time
209
A Guide to Action
328
Notes
361
Index
407
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About the author (2012)

Daniel B. Botkin is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara.