Okay, I’m off this morning to talk beavers at Wild Birds Unlimited in Pleasant Hill but I thought I’d leave you with the voice of this remarkable woman I heard on yesterday’s Science Friday. Sylvia Earle was once the head of the NOAA and currently the explorer in residence of the National Geographic Society. She has spent more than 6500 hours under water, and in the 70’s lead an all woman team of “aquanauts” to live under water for 2 weeks.
She was asked yesterday about the wisdom of using millions of gallons of toxic dispersants in the gulf, and the likely impacts on the water column. She was thoughtful, reasonable, compassionate and exquisitely scientific. Her answers glowed when you held them up to the light. I have never heard a voice that made me feel as hopeful about an event that has made me feel as despondent. Her Science Friday interview can be accessed at the link. Below that is video of her speech as a one of three winners of a TED award in which she invites the audience to change the way they think about the “the blue heart” of the world. I know with perfect certainty that she would like beavers. Enjoy.