Ignoring Nature No More – The Case for Compassionate Conservation

“For years a small coterie of environmentalists, animal rights activists, ethicists, conservation biologists, philosophers, park management officials, and legislators have been grappling with the relationships between individuals and species; populations and habitats; bio-invasives and native and endemic species. What is the right thing to do with regard to listing threatened and endangered species? When is ecological legislation overreaching or, conversely, inadequate? At what point should humanity step in to resurrect past ecosystems, or prepare for climate-change-related future biomes? These and many other topics meant to help heal divisions between conservation biology and advocates of animal rights and animal welfare are forthrightly grappled with in Marc Bekoff’s important new, bold, eclectic, and forward-looking anthology, which scans the planet for flash points where animal protection and conservation biology are in direct correlation, conflict, ethically ambiguous point-counterpoint, or simply off the radar of most local, regional, and international discussion. This thoughtful book is a must-read for every student of zoology, ecology, environmental ethics, and conservation biology.”
–Michael Charles Tobias, coauthor of God’s Country

“I have mentored hundreds of idealistic young students over the years who have wanted to ‘save nature.’ They are shocked to discover that often what ‘saving’ means in practice is a single-minded devotion to killing and uprooting the unwanted, misplaced, ‘alien, ‘ or ‘exotic.’ Ignoring Nature No More is the sort of mash-up that has the potential to lead us away from this paradigm, towards treasuring life in all of its crazy, contradictory complexity.”
–Dale Jamieson, New York University

“It may not be easy to be compassionate in this speedy, greed-ridden world, but maybe a person can be a bit kinder. Marc Bekoff and his fellow contributors make the case that an attitude of intelligent caring is both possible and essential if the world is to be saved.”–Michael Soulé, University of California, Santa Cruz

“Marc Bekoff has gathered here a remarkable field of thinkers to address humanity’s deepening estrangement from nature. Through the annals of history and science and literature, one message emerges clear: Our modern penchant for ignoring nature is not some harmless hiccup in an otherwise glorious human saga; it is a deadly sickness inflicting a world of impoverishment and misery for us and our fellow creatures. But in the case for compassion–for opening our hearts to the joys and sufferings of the world beyond our noses–we find a cure for our gravest threats, and at last, a reason for hope.”
–Will Stolzenburg, author of Where the Wild Things Were and Rat Island

“[W]ith this collection of thoughtful articles, as well as its inclusion of contact information for the authors, the book itself takes concrete steps toward bringing largely disconnected groups together to work on the complex problems of conservation.”–Ian Werkheiser, Michigan State University “Biological Conservation”

“A good choice for supplementary reading in animal welfare courses. . . . Recommended.”–M. LaBar, Southern Wesleyan University “Choice”

“A selection of provocative but mostly accessible essays by scientists trying to answer such difficult questions as: When it comes to saving species, should we favor ‘charismatic’ animals like wolves over, say, ants?”– “Boulder Daily Camera”

“An amazing collection.”– “Humane Advisor”

“Rich in insight and detail.”–Alexandra Semyonova “Animal People”