Hi. Thanks for checking out Greenology.
I am a lawyer living in San Francisco and enjoying the wonderful natural beauty of the Bay Area. I don’t practice environmental law, but I strive to make earth-friendly choices in my life and my law practice.
I was raised on the East Coast in a family that always appreciated nature. Despite this background, I was rather indifferent to environmentalism for many years. I equated the whole thing with a crude stereotype that I did not find altogether appealing. Thankfully I awoke and began my education in environmental issues.
I view ecological enlightenment as a continuing process. In my opinion, to call oneself an environmentalist is not to say that one has achieved some zen-like state and is therefore better than one’s peers. Rather, it is to seriously pronounce oneself as focused on the state of the environment, the effects of humanity on the earth, and to be conscious of the effects of one’s, and one’s species, presence on the planet. Therefore, I will be posting about humanity’s effects on the earth’s ecosystems and the present state of decline or perserverance of nature.
I do not believe that it is possible to be an environmentalist without being awestruck by the natural world. Therefore, I will also be posting about natural phenomena, animals, and ecosystems.
The scientific method is the sharpest tool available to environmentalists to study and protect nature. For that reason, I will be posting about various scientific advances, discoveries, and science in general. Additionally, I believe the ability of science to inform about the world around us and to assist us in effectively managing human influence on the environment depends upon a science independent of political agendas. Therefore, I will be posting about efforts by political bodies or politicians to control science.
Finally, since the scientific method first enabled humans to examine the natural world through physical and testable evidence, rather than conjecture, magic, or authoritarian decree, science and religion have, at times, been in conflict. I do not make the claim that science and religion conflict on every matter and are therefore perpetually incompatible. But for various reasons, a tension has existed and continues to exist between science and religion. Because I believe science is the best method by which to understand and protect our natural world and because science and religion have such a history together, I will be posting from time to time about religious topics.
I hope you enjoy Greenology. Please feel free to contact me at greenologyblog@gmail.com.
You beat me to it! I was looking up the word so I could put it on my business card. I think it is the perfect word as well to embody all of those things as well. I am very impressed with your website and like the way you have it set up. Did you do it yourself or have someone do it for you? Anyway, I don’t know how much research you have done on algae (specifically diatoms and green microalgae) as a renewable energy and as wastewater treatment, but I thought you might want to check that out! Anyway, I have a B.S. in Environmental Biology and it is refreshing to see all of these people starting to “awaken” as you did to the integral role that the environment plays in all of our lives. If you ever decide to take on any cases of an environmental nature I would love to help in anyway I can. I have always really looked up to Robert Kennedy Jr. (you should read his book if you haven’t already called Crimes Against Nature) and wished I could help him in some way, but maybe you will change your mind and consider it. Knowing corporate law and other forms of law are just as useful for environmental crime and lawsuits and with your knowledge you could really make a difference. Anyway, keep doing what your doing and let me know what you think if you want to e-mail me write bluemonkeys2002@yahoo.com. (I studied monkeys in Kenya that actually had a blue tint to them in the sunlight if you are wondering what the e-mail address is about.) Take care, Amelia