The only thing about riding a bike from Portland to Phoenix is that in-between there is something called... NEVADA.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Novel Ecosystems

There is nothing like long days on the open road to stimulate thinking...

 To focus our minds on an important issue we'll be reading this book: Ethical Adaptation to Climate Change : Human Virtues of the Future

This collection of essays is a dense nugget of food for thought on novel ecosystems, a consequence of human impact during our time on this planet. It is clear that our actions taken have set into motion a series of events that will shape the many interconnected system of Earth for many millennia to come; awarding us a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene . Rather than wallow in our lack of foresight it is crucial that we strive to understand and embrace the changes to come in order to become better stewards of the biosphere.

Please read along with us and comment as we discuss the material and other scholarly articles in this vein  during the ride.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Sagebrush

Along much of the route will be Artemisia tridentata, or Sagebrush. The smallish, pale green-grey leaves divide into three rounded lobes at their tips, are covered in very fine hairs, and smell amazingly cleansing when crushed.

Range of Artemisia tridentata
By U.S. Geological Survey [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons