While driving down a dirt road in a noisy car with the windows up, you can actually still hear the sharp call of the Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta. This symbolizes our goal of providing messages that are both concise and clear enough to be heard and effective—clarion calls audible above the din of overwhelming amounts of information and opinion we hear each day, helping us GET SERIOUS NOW.
Sturnella Message #13
“Monitored populations of vertebrates (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish) have seen a devastating 69% drop on average since 1970”
That this has happened during the span of my career, much of which was focused on ecological sustainability, gives me pause.
Sturnella Message #12
“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”― Mary Oliver
I personally can’t argue with this.
Sturnella Message #11
Bowhead whales can live more than 200 years
I am not sure why, but such surprising longevity in animals helps put my place in nature into perspective, and makes me think twice about our climate change impacts on them.
Sturnella Message #10
It appears that salmon are responsible for Pacific NW mountains being 30% lower than they should be.
Female salmon clearing away sediment for spawning over millions of years shows how powerful life can be in forming our world.
Sturnella Message #9
At predicted rates, by 2050, there will be more plastic by weight than fish in the world’s oceans.
Our food system is a big contributor and ocean food sources are impacted by plastic as well.
Sturnella Message #8
It appears that we have cancelled the next ice age.
Sturnella Message #7
If you are under 30, which now means most people on the planet, you have never experienced a month with a global temperature cooler than the 20th Century average.
Sturnella Message #6
An estimated 40% of food is wasted in the US!
Lots of dimensions and implications of this statement, but this must be factored in as we consider increasing local production, food access and hunger, and overall sustainability.
Sturnella Message #5
We need to leave most of the remaining fossil fuels in the ground!
One of the best, most succinct ways to describe the scale of rethinking we need in order to stave off catastrophic climate change. Mentioned frequently, but not enough, for example here.
Sturnella Message #4
As an indicator of how the California drought might impact food supplies, one single almond requires 1.1 gallons of water to produce.
This is a good indication of a fragile food system. Grist
Sturnella Message #3
“November 2013 was the 345th consecutive month with global temperatures warmer than the 20th century average.”
Sturnella Message #2
There are indications that many vertebrate species would need to evolve 10,000 times faster than normal to keep up with climate change.
Quintero & Wiens, 2013, Ecological Letters
Sturnella Message #1
“For the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children in America may have shorter life expectancies than their parents…”
Children’s Life Expectancy Being Cut Short by Obesity
