Inquiry: John Kricher: The Balance of Nature: Ecology's Enduring Myth

• Artist: Mark Lynch
• Title: John Kricher: The Balance of Nature: Ecology's Enduring Myth
• Album: Inquiry
• Length: 38:29 minutes (17.46 MB)
• Format: Stereo 44kHz 63Kbps (VBR)

The concept of “the balance of Nature” is at least as old as the Ancient Greeks and is used in many sources today when talking about the environment and ecology. But it is an utterly wrong-headed idea. Nothing could be further from the truth because in fact “constant change” is the reality of life on earth and in the universe around us. Nothing ever stays the same. So if there is no balance of nature, why should we care if Global Warming is changing the ecosystems of the planet? And what has biodiversity ever done for us anyway? Tonight on Inquiry, we welcome JOHN KRICHER, the A. Howard Meneely Professor of Biology at Wheaton College, and author of THE BALANCE OF NATURE: ECOLOGY’S ENDURING MYTH, one of the best books on scientific ecology written for a general audience. Tune in tonight and listen as Professor Kricher explains why biodiversity is important, why humanity needs to develop a strong “environmental ethic” and why we all need to move beyond such erroneous ideas as nature in balance.