From: gil@Gilsys.DIALix.oz.au (Gil Hardwick)
Newsgroups: sci.environment
Subject: Spotted Owl (Re: The Human Niche
Distribution: world
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 23:20:26 GMT
Organization: STAFF STRATEGIES - Anthropologists & Training Agents
Reply-To: gil@Gilsys.DIALix.oz.au


In article <43304@ogicse.ogi.edu> jhurst@amb4.ccalmr.ogi.edu writes:

 > The Endangered Species Act is the cornerstone of US wildlife protection 
 > efforts.  It's managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service, but was never
 > provided with a funding mechanism.  Rather than a planning mechanism, 
 > it is emergency care for species.  As has become obvious over the past
 > decade, the best thing for threatened species to to prevent their habitat
 > from being wiped out.  The responsible federal agencies, the Forest 
 > Service and the BLM in the owl case, often disregard their legal obligations
 > to protect the public resources under intense pressure from the politically
 > powerful timber industry.
 > 
 > ESA finds itself in the center of controversy now, because it was the legal 
 > tool used to stop a significant part of a regional industry in its tracks.
 > 
 > While in theory this is also the case in the US, in practice industry usually
 > tells the federal watchdogs what to do, and the environmentalists then 
 > arm-wrestle with them in court, regardless of what is written in the law.
 > Perhaps the federal agencies need a spine transplant?  ;^)

Perhaps you missed my .sig, Jim. I put it there as a courtesy that
readers might see immediately what I do. For your sake, my work is at
a professional level within the notion of sustainable development. I
am not involved with actions to stop industry, nor do I presume what
agencies might need. I work as an independent consultant, and am not
a member of any political party or intellectual clique. Am I being
clear enough yet?

The legal adversary model for negotiating environmental management
strategies we have found wrought with problems, both in terms of being
actually able to achieve any of the goals set through the process of
public consultation, and in terms of achieving real multivariate
species preservation at an ecosystemic level. We therefore no longer
bother with it.


 > Anyway, how would Systems Theory and Strategic Management be applied in 
 > practice?  Ferinstance, what part would they play in say, the development of
 > a new iron mine?
 >
 > The Net is just terrible about looking things up.  Could you give us a 
 > synopsis of the python/rat case, and its significance?
 > 
 > Hey, wait a minute!  THE catastrophe theory, the Rene Thom stuff?  Are you
 > talking about rigidly and quantitatively applying differential geometry? 
 > Or perhaps a slightly fuzzier approach, trying to identify cusp events,
 > and the changes which follow them?  I don't understand at all, would you
 > clarify a little?
 > 
 > So what kinds of environmental stress levels do you look at, and what kinds
 > of things would be trigger events?  I'm intrigued, please tell us more.

All of these questions are fresher level. This group is sci.environment.
You might find it beneficial to go back and do some homework, Jim, if
you are finding it difficult to follow the discussion here. Yes, the
net is terrible for looking things up; you must do that in your own
time at the library, then follow up your reading with an appropriate
level of field experience.

Otherwise, if you only want to chat perhaps talk.environment would meet
your needs.


Gil Hardwick                                      gil@Gilsys.DIALix.oz.au
Independent Consulting Ethnologist                            3:690/660.6
PERTH, Western Australia                                 (+61 9) 399 2401
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Newsgroups: sci.environment