A Note from David Beebe

I am beginning to catch up from my “vacation”- actually a week focused on dealing with the bureaucracy of trying to get my retirement benefits. More on that when I am successful. As a result of these troubles and other commitments, I am way behind on things.. please email and remind me if I had volunteered to do something and have not yet done it yet ([email protected]).

A few weeks ago I checked in with David Beebe with this note..

Just sayin’ we miss you and would like you to come back. Check out this sad set of comments..
http://ncfp.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/lawsuit-alleges-mt-fwp-allowing-trapping-in-occupied-lynx-habitat-in-violation-of-esa/#comment-16298

I don’t know what you’re up to, or if you feel it in your heart. but just wanted to know that people care about you here.

Sharon

Here’s his reply..

to me

Hi Sharon,
Thanks for sharing the thoughts. I must decline (and do not miss engaging in the repetitive and often petty tit-for-tat exchanges) for the following reasons.

I agree to a certain extent with Pielke’s insight that bloggers are born with a constitutional predisposition to engage others in debate.

That debate however, was once a collective birthright, an essential aspect of a national dialog which informed a majority opinion instrumental in steering many positive developments in American political consciousness. However, the bully pulpit is no longer shared with little people representing the full range of the debate. This is perhaps because the spokespeople of that consciousness-raising public dialog kept, and keep, having a tendency to get assassinated or killed under suspicious circumstances. There are too many to list here, and I can already hear reactionary aspersions of “conspiracy theorist!” memes in response. Or alternatively, JZ’s innuendoes and “usual suspects” slur.)

I can care about them too, but can’t justify the use of the time. Triage is my order of the day.

The topic of decimated if not entirely locally disappeared lynx populations in its home range is iconic as much as it is ironic. WE are that easily duped species lured to the intellectual traps of denial, and will inexorably suffer the same fate as the lynx.

The lynx according to JZ’s own use of suspect science, “The conservation status for the lynx is Globally “secure”, nationally “secure” in Canada and “apparently secure” in the US.” ignores how specific watershed inhabitants acquire and pass on specific genetic attributes necessary for future generations to survive in those watersheds. It also ignores the fact lynx survive only to the extent the same forces which created locally extinct populations are not also being applied incrementally to their shrinking refugia.

Doctor Bob’s still miscounting peas to determine intelligence based upon cranial volume while ignoring larger trends claiming others are miscounting lynx to determine species viability. I suspect you would invoke at this point, that species come and species go, so what’s the big deal? The big deal to me is the trend which points to the obvious conclusions as to the fate of our species. The big deal to me is if scientists wear their credentials on their sleeve based upon having exorcised compassion from their professional identity and belief systems, they ultimately excise an essential component of what makes them human.

Nonetheless, you Sharon, have inspired me, and for that I am deeply grateful to you as my teacher. You have taught me to examine my own intellectual weaknesses, constructs, and assumptions. Those inspirations didn’t necessarily occur in the heat of debate, but I found they often lingered as seeds of greater awareness i possibly would not have otherwise had.

I too, celebrate our commonly held beliefs even if they are more often than not based upon entirely different rationales. As for yin and yang energies though, my belief is I, and Matthew, and others have been commenting far more from the pool of yin, which has been suffering a prolonged and desperate drought.

Be well,
~db~

I do miss David, especially a news story comes across about cap’n’trade or REDDs which we agreed about. I have only read a part of the recent discussion, but I agree with David that discussing on the blog helps me refine my thinking and arguments. And lots of times I simply learn things I didn’t know. But if he were here, I would say “hey, I think I’m just as “yin” as you.” Not sure any blog like this could handle such a debate. In fact, one of my coworkers and I once went to see our boss, the Deputy Regional Forester at the time (RS) to be granted a favor. In return, we offered not to mention the words “yin” or “yang” to him for six months. He deemed it a fair trade. Just sayin’.