The role of the volunteer is not to be underestimated, and in the case of the Tanana Valley Watershed Association and other similar partnerships in Alaska, where I am focusing my research as part of my graduate studies in environmental policy, volunteers are an integral piece of a healthy watershed. Watershed partnerships are informal governing networks comprised of multiple stakeholders within an ecosystem basin.  Often these stakeholders have competing interests, but work as a body to make consensus-based decisions on things like which scientific research needs should be pursued or a plan for restoring a watershed or which issues require greater regulatory oversight. Participation in watershed partnerships is not mandatory.  The theoretical incentive is the desire to maintain a healthy ecosystem, one that can continue to provide jobs, services, clean water and a high quality of life for all.

Okay.  Tweed-wearing, pipe-smoking academic definitions aside, this seems a relevant topic as last week we were all called to serve by our new president. (more…)

Jed meet the readers… readers meet Jed! Jedediah R. Smith is one of my colleagues at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and I’ve asked him to contribute to the Fireweed when he has the time. My time in Arizona has made it all to clear to me that water is an issue that should be on everyone’s mind, so I’ve tapped Jed, who knows a good deal more than I about the subject, to join me here. His inaugural article is timely and gets at a good point about just how powerful and effective a changing force volunteerism can be. I’d go as far as to say that the spirit of collaboration about which Jed speaks might be the only way to save our spot on this fine planet. It is a great first contribution, even if he does cite that crackpot Friedman! I joke, of course, Friedman is a pretty good hand, just misguided as of late, too convinced that technology alone can save this world. 

Anyway I look forward to many more contributions from Jedediah, about water or anything else that happens to cross his mind, because its a sharp one.

Coming off that last post regarding some of the lies in advertising about HFCS, I think it is only fitting to take on another major heath threat - this time one that is deliberately (and quite disingenuously) packaged as something to make you healther. I am speaking of Alli, the only FDA-approved, over-the-counter weight loss product marketed by Glaxo-Smith-Kline. If you know someone taking this product, tell them to stop. Now. Even if they are losing ‘weight.’  (more…)

I’ve had just about all that I can stand of these feel good about high fructose corn syrup commercials. The most frustrating thing about them, other than the fact that the corn lobby isn’t being prosecuted for deliberatly trying to hide the problems with the product, is that they illustrate another very real problem, that of an uninformed and misinformed public. Just look at the dumb guy on the picnic blanket, totally speechless, when his girlfriend challenges him on the safety of HFCS!    (more…)