conservation

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Ancient Eyes in the Surf

 

Some years ago I spent a wonderful ten days on an island nature reserve in the Gulf of Mexico. It was the first time that I saw horseshoe crabs. Everything about them spoke of ‘ancient’. Indeed they have been around for over three hundred and fifty million years.

But in the world of these horseshoe crabs there is now a problem; they are harvested for a property in their blood. Their blood is strange in that it is copper based. Scientists utilize this property to test for the presence of bacteria.

In the past these crabs were harvested in their millions for processing into animal feed and fertilizer.

Horseshoe crabs still come into the shallows of the waters of the Gulf of Mexico – but in far fewer numbers now. 

(Extract from the book – Planet Dancing.)

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EXTRACT FROM ‘PLANET DANCING’

 

ECHOES IN THE SEA:

Today we no longer kill whales with harpoons – we kill them with ‘research’.In an age depleted of Blue Whales, what judgement of us moves in the brains of these magnificent animals? Brains that know the passes through the mountains of the great oceans; that have confronted giant squids; that have seen the wrecks of whaling ships – are they aware that something has changed?Are they aware that fewer great whales inhabit the seas?Are they aware how few? 

Will it matter if there is silence in the ocean of whales?

(From the book – Planet Dancing.)

Patrick

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What’s in a name – well, a lot really!

 

Recently I published a book – PLANET DANCING. It is about conserving nature. It contains six large ideas how we, all of us, on a world scale, might become involved. The book has a number of illustrations that are clearly of a wildlife nature. The cover too has a wildlife look to it. All of that should suggest that the subject matter is nature conservation.

Wrong.

In one shop the book found its way onto the ‘Astronomy’ shelf. In another it was placed in ‘Geology Section‘.  In a university bookshop it was proudly displayed under ‘Arts and Dance’.

I offer this to those who are contemplating writing books on non-fiction. Be extremely careful that your title does not mis-lead. Hope this is of help to some.

Regards

Patrick