Tickets for the Ark
From wasps to whales - how do we choose what to save?
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-78816-709-3 (ISBN)
Description
A NEW SCIENTIST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022
'Thought-provoking ... a welcome antidote to the simplistic and divisive thinking that can sometimes taint the well-meaning world of conservation.' Katie Burton, Geographical
Our planet hasn't seen the current rate of extinction since the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, and global conservation efforts are failing to halt this. As a society, we face choices which will determine the fate of Earth's estimated 8.7 million species, including humans. As wildlife declines, conservation needs to make trade-offs. But what should we conserve and why?
Are we wrong to love bees and hate wasps?
Are native species more valuable than newcomers (aka invasives)?
Should some animals be culled to protect others, or for our own economic interests?
What do we want the 'natural world' to look like, and how can we shape a world in which wildlife and people can thrive?
'Thought-provoking ... a welcome antidote to the simplistic and divisive thinking that can sometimes taint the well-meaning world of conservation.' Katie Burton, Geographical
Our planet hasn't seen the current rate of extinction since the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, and global conservation efforts are failing to halt this. As a society, we face choices which will determine the fate of Earth's estimated 8.7 million species, including humans. As wildlife declines, conservation needs to make trade-offs. But what should we conserve and why?
Are we wrong to love bees and hate wasps?
Are native species more valuable than newcomers (aka invasives)?
Should some animals be culled to protect others, or for our own economic interests?
What do we want the 'natural world' to look like, and how can we shape a world in which wildlife and people can thrive?
Reviews / Votes
Thought-provoking and topical ... an illuminating analysis of where human efforts may best be directed * Observer * Conservation often requires tough decisions. Rebecca Nesbit takes an entertaining and unflinching look at one of the toughest decisions of all - what do we save if we can't save everything. A fascinating read for anyone interested in the future of the planet -- Adam Hart, author and BBC science presenter Thought-provoking ... Nesbit challenges some widely held assumptions, many I held myself, and is skillful in doing so ... a welcome antidote to the simplistic and divisive thinking that can sometimes taint the well-meaning world of conservation. -- Katie Burton * Geographical *More details
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-78816-709-3 (9781788167093)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2022
Profile Books Ltd
€16.49
Available for download
Person
Rebecca Nesbit is an ecologist and author, writing on science and the ethical questions it raises, in particular in relation to conservation. She is the author of Is that Fish in your Tomato?, which explored the benefits and the risks of genetically modified foods. After graduating from Durham University, she worked in scientific research, chiefly on butterfly migrations, before working on a program training honeybees to detect explosives. She has worked for the Royal Society of Biology and Nobel, and is a contributor to Scientific American, The Biologist and Popular Science.