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Author Topic:   Do you share the optimism of Edward O Wilson?
ogon
Member (Idle past 6129 days)
Posts: 70
Joined: 05-13-2007


Message 1 of 2 (402512)
05-27-2007 5:45 PM


I have been enthused by reading the posts on the EvC forum and through reading what I think are important books concerning Evolution and Creation. Most enjoyable so far have been E O Wilsons The Creation, and The Diversity of Life. Of course reading has also included Darwin and my next book shall be Carl Zimmers Evolution.
Most of what I have been reading understandably concerns the past. Some of what I have read also refers to the future. Just such a book is Edward O Wilson's, The Creation. I also downloaded an interview with Edward O Wilson which I believe was given after recieving an award at the American Museum of Natural History. During this interview he refered to the points below.
My point for discussion? Wilson's book, The Creation, is a direct appeal to save life on Earth. Wilson, refers to the numbers of species so far described on Earth and claims that up to now, 'between 1.5 and 1.8 million species have so far been described to date, and at least 10 million more await discovery.' Numbers, habitats and their geographical distributions need to be noted. My immediate question was, to what extent would such a mammoth task help towards saving life on Earth? Wilson's answer? 'The positive impact of this scientific knowledge on medicine, agriculture, and resource management will be beyond measure.
How else can we help to Save Life on Earth? Wilson says we could raise Naturalists. According to Wilson, 'Every child is a beginning explorer naturalist. Hunter, gatherer, scout, treasure seaker, geographer, discoverer of new worlds,' Wilson also says we should take our children to seashores, we should equipe them with microscopes.
Do you agree with Wilson's statement that scientifically describing up to 10 million species will help save life on earth beyond measure?
And secondly, how many children do you know are willing to become Naturalists?
I genuinly don't have an answer for the first question as I don't feel the least bit qualified or knowledgeable enough. But the second question I can have a personal attempt at answering.
I have been a teacher for the best part of 20 years and I have taught children 2-19 years of age of all abilities. I shall quickly get to the point. Most, if not all the children I currently teach would rather be handed an i pod than a microscope. And more to the point, they would know what to do with an i pod! Okay, I could educate them as to what a microscope is, but I can guarentee that if they believe it doesn't impact on their lives, they won't give a damn. Their environment is the street, not the Earth. Only this week I was sitting in a carpark next to a river reading 'The Creation' when a minibus of school children pulled up. A lovely river environment in which to discover wildlife diversity? Yeh right! Chasing mother ducks and their chicks is fun, throwing stones into the water is fun, and believe it or not, getting out a catapult and shooting ducks is even more fun! Yes, I did point these things out to the teacher. In return I got a grump, a huff, and the following comment, 'weren't you ever young?'
Saving life on Earth is a whopping job. Most people are only concerned with their own human life on Earth unaware of the dependancy of their lives on natural life. Classifying species and educating the youth will help to rectify things? Easier said than done. I personally don't share Wilson's optimism, do you?
ogon

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Message 2 of 2 (402516)
05-27-2007 7:23 PM


Thread copied to the Do you share the optimism of Edward O Wilson? thread in the Education and Creation/Evolution forum, this copy of the thread has been closed.

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