Jerry Apps - Planting an Idea

Praise for Planting an Idea

Planting an Idea carries a critical message about global sustainability and environmental justice while suggesting a practical and hopeful approach to solving the worlds most pressing issues. Jerry Appss historical storytelling combines with Natasha Kassulkes fine journalistic writing to entertain while they teach. Most importantly, each chapter shares lessons to help bring people together, a welcome antidote to our divided nations public discourse. A must read for book clubs, students, and community leaders!

Terry Daulton, environmental educator, artist, and founding president of Wisconsins Green Fire

There is no time like the present, and with ever-increasing levels of population growth, consumption, and technology, the present is critical. So just when we needed it most, Apps and Kassulke have given us Planting an Idea: Critical and Creative Thinking About Environmental Problems . Decidedly not esoteric, we now have a guide to understanding the environmental issues of our time, but we also have a pragmatic text that shows how to evaluate and act on these threats. Planting an Idea shows us how to live on our home planet and have a future. We all need to read, and apply, this book to our lives!

Richard Knight, Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Conservation, Colorado State University

What happens when one of Wisconsins great storytellers collaborates with a top-notch environmental journalist, who just happens to be his daughter-in-law? The resulting book gives the reader a fresh take on environmentalism, with an emphasis on hopeful stories from Wisconsin. Its neither a history textbook nor simply a celebration of Wisconsins conservation traditions. Rather it engages the reader and helps point a way forward in times when environmental threats can seem overwhelming. Wisconsins great conservationist and writer, Aldo Leopold, took a somewhat similar approach in his classic essay, Good Oak, and now Planting an Idea adds to Wisconsins rich tradition of environmental literature.

Stanley A. Temple, Beers-Bascom Professor Emeritus in Conservation, University of WisconsinMadison, and Senior Fellow, Aldo Leopold Foundation Copyright 2023 Jerry Apps and Natasha Kassulke All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Apps, Jerold W., 1934- author. | Kassulke, Natasha, author. Title: Planting an idea : a guidebook to critical and creative thinking about environmental problems / by Jerry Apps and Natasha Kassulke. Description: Wheat Ridge, Colorado : Fulcrum Publishing, 2023. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2022041308 (print) | LCCN 2022041309 (ebook) | ISBN 9781682753422 (paperback) | ISBN 9781682753644 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Environmentalism. | Environmental protection. | Environmental degradation. | BISAC: SCIENCE / Global Warming & Climate Change | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Environmental Economics Classification: LCC GE195 .A66 2023 (print) | LCC GE195 (ebook) | DDC 363.7--dc23/eng20230111 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022041308 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022041309 Printed in the United States 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Cover art and design by Kateri Kramer Interior illustrations by Kateri Kramer Unless otherwise noted, all websites cited in endnotes were current as of the initial edition of this book. Fulcrum Publishing 3970 Youngfield Street Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033 (800) 992-2908 (303) 277-1623 www.fulcrumbooks.com Contents Introduction Just Think About It

Why write this book? And why now? For us, as environmentalists, the answers to these questions are black and white. From our perspective, we are at a critical time in the history of our planet. We are at a tipping point that is leaning toward disaster. But we also believe that we can stand up for the environment, and we can straighten out this calamity.

To some, this response might sound a bitperhaps a lotoptimistic. But it is vital. In the planets long history, concern for the natural environment has never been more important. Today, a strong argument can be made that no corner of the globe is immune from environmental degradation, as evidenced by widespread climate change impacts. Across the world, we face water quality and quantity concerns, land use conflict, air quality degradation, rampant species loss, and food insecurity.

As a result, we are calling for bold collective action based on facts that inform critical and creative thinking about solutions.

But we greenies cannot do this alone. We need people from a variety of social and ethnic backgrounds; of different genders, ages, educational backgrounds and affiliations; and diversity in all areas of human nature. We are at a time when policy makers, politicians, environmental organizations, and individuals must work ever harder and together to protect the future for our grandchildren and the generations who follow.

Yet, never in our lifetimes have we seen such dramatic divisions between those who want to protect the environment and those who wish to exploit it for its monetary return. In the 1960s, when environmental protection was a topic for widespread discussion and action, both conservatives and liberals worked together to fashion legislation to improve and protect water, air, land, and wild creatures.

Since the Great Recession (20072009), policy makers have taken sidesoften extreme sides. On one side are certain conservatives who view the environment as an impediment to economic development and job creation. On the other side are certain liberals who wish to protect the environment at all costs. The two groups are at loggerheads, with considerable emotion and strong opinions shared and debated, often with the facts of the matter ignored or manipulated to fit a particular point of view.

What is needed, in our judgment, is for both groups to stand back and examine their basic beliefs and values about the environment and do some critical and creative thinking, followed by action. We also need long-term planning that ensures environmental and economic policies are centered around health needsboth ours and the planets.

While we come from different genders, educational backgrounds (Natasha has studied mass communications and biology, and Jerry holds a PhD in education and rural sociology), life experiences, and generations, we agree that thinking without action accomplishes little. And action without careful thinking is dangerous and often futile.

Aside from the various groups that have taken sides for and against the environment, each one of us, every last person, has an individual responsibility for caring for the environment. Belonging to an environmental group is a good idea. But concern for the environment goes beyond concerned groups. It is everyones responsibility, whether working alone or working with others.

We dont mean taking some willy-nilly action without first examining the position you are taking. It does not mean joining a group that appears to agree with your position when you have not carefully examined what your position is.

This book is designed to help you figure out what your position is on a particular environmental problem, and ultimately not only know that position, but also help provide evidence to back up your position. And not just any evidence, but accurate, verifiable evidence from reputable, reliable sources. So, in a way this is a guidebook for examining, and thinking critically and creatively about the important environmental problems that face our planet today.

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