SCA's blog to extend its reach

...and we hope its grasp. With this posting on Conservation Nation, we are officially launching a new and improved blog that we hope you will find interesting enough to bookmark and return to often.

Changes include a broad environmental editorial framework to encompass everything from Deep Ecology to composting and lots in between. And, thanks to WordPress’ open source software, it’s all in a new and improved bloggy format.

When I first made the proposal to my department colleagues to broaden our editorial policy, my boss, a veteran newsman, gave me one of his seriously skeptical looks at my use of the term Deep Ecology. In case you would like a clarification, too, I refer you to an excellent and brief definition in Wikipedia of a philosophy that “aims to avoid merely utilitarian environmentalism based on the well-being of humans alone.” While the language of philosophy can be theoretical and precise, the story in today’s New York Times about plans to exterminate a 5,500 acre prairie dog colony in Kansas is a good illustration of just how messy this issue can get. It pits a charismatic rodent and the endangered black-footed ferret against the also endangered cowboy/rancher and a struggle to save a way of life. Comments? What would you do? I invite you to post your thoughts by emailing it to webmaster or simply post a comment here. We have open commenting, so it's easy. I also invite you to share your favorite environmental website link with us, subscribe to an RSS feed so that you know when something new is posted, and email this link to your friends. Come back soon to find out more about the prairie dogs and read comments.