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EcoUniv Weekend Reads: Feb 2020
EcoUniv Weekend Reads
15 Feb 2020
Population Science: 20+ states/UT now have a fertility rate that is below the ideal 2.1. Should we celebrate? A long article that discusses many trends and forecasts of global population.
Ecology: India plans to import the African cheetah in a national park in MP. Is it worth it? An article on the cheetah’s ecology and the massive home range it needs.
Video: China’s reindeer herder community.
EcoUniv Weekend Reads
22 Feb 2020
Ecology: State of India’s Birds 2020, a comprehensive report warns that many Indian bird populations are already facing significant population declines.
Full report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TVdTFPMiIKZyP1IxMFIzcLFM0Jjxv8ot/view
Marathi summary: https://www.stateofindiasbirds.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SOIB-one-pager_MARATHI_WEB.pdf
Botany: News about a 2014 paper that challenges the assumption that older, bigger trees grow slower and absorb less carbon. A paper like this has its own controversies. Botanists/forestry enthusiasts may find the comments below the article interesting (follow the ‘Nature’ link to paper and click on Comments). My take-aways: 1. We should protect all old, big trees no matter where they are. 2. Growing younger forests is important too, as they grow faster as a whole.
Map: Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) maintains an interactive map about “Litter on Indian beaches”. Check it out: http://www.cmfri.org.in/Beach_Litter_Map_Final_4/Beach_Litter_Map_Final_4.html#8/18.435/74.541
EcoUniv Weekend Reads
29 Feb 2020
Technology: In this interview podcast from MIT, Oxford’s Carl Frey, author of the book ‘The Technology Trap’, argues that resistance to all new technology is futile. Do you agree?
He also accepts that technology often comes with unforeseen problems, mostly in the short term. I find that to be an understatement. Is technology really beneficial to all even in the long term? What dimensions of technology’s negative impact are missing in this interview?
Can We Escape the Technology Trap?
Biodiversity: Dolphins in the Indian ocean may now be only 13% of their population in 1980. The cause: Overfishing for tuna (dolphins and other marine animals get caught in the nets)
https://www.jcu.edu.au/news/releases/2020/february/study-indicates-alarming-fall-in-dolphin-numbers