Reconnecting with nature for sustainability

Calls for humanity to ‘reconnect to nature’ have grown increasingly louder from both scholars and civil society. Yet, there is relatively little coherence about what reconnecting to nature means, why it should happen and how it can be achieved. We present a conceptual framework to organise existing literature and direct future research on human–nature connections. Five types of connections to nature are identified: material, experiential, cognitive, emotional, and philosophical. These various types have been presented as causes, consequences, or treatments of social and environmental problems. From this conceptual base, we discuss how reconnecting people with nature can function as a treatment for the global environmental crisis. Adopting a social–ecological systems perspective, we draw upon the emerging concept of ‘leverage points’—places in complex systems to intervene to generate change—and explore examples of how actions to reconnect people with nature can help transform society towards sustainability

Environmental Education After Sustainability : Hope in the Midst of Tragedy

In this article, I discuss the challenge posed to environmental education (EE; and education for sustainable development) by the thinkers who see the situation of the world as so severe that ‘sustainability’ is an outdated concept. My approach is interdisciplinary and I discuss especially the connections between EE and eco-psychology. Based on psychological research, I argue that the wide-scale unconscious anxiety, which people experience, should be taken very seriously in EE. My discussion thus contributes in a new kind of way to a long-standing key issue in EE, the gap between people’s values and the perceived action. Scholars of eco-anxiety have argued that instead of not caring, many people in fact care too much, and have to resort to psychological defenses of denial and disavowal. Thus, the question in EE is not anymore whether EE should deal with anxiety, for anxiety is already there. The prevailing attitude in EE writing is right in emphasizing positive matters and empowerment, but the relation between hope and optimism must be carefully thought about and a certain sense of tragedy must be included. Therefore, my article participates in the discussion about the role of ‘fear appeals’ in EE. My discussion is directed to anyone who wants to understand the reasons for inaction and the ways in which these may be overcome.Peer reviewe

Department of Animal Sciences research and reviews: dairy, 1999

Development of a novel coliform mastitis vaccine / J. S. Hogan, J. Lin, and K. L. Smith -- Bacterial counts associated with sawdust and recycled manure bedding treated with commercial conditioners / J. S. Hogan and K. L. Smith -- Environmental streptococcal mastitis / J. S. Hogan and K. L. Smith -- Efficacy of an Escherichia coli JS bacterin administered to primigravid heifers / J. S. Hogan, V. L. Bogacz, and K. L. Smith -- Contamination and implications of dioxins and furans in cattle: a review / S. M. Whitaker and L. B. Willett -- Site of nutrient digestion by dairy cows fed corn of different particle size or steam-rolled / S. L. Callison, J. L. Firkins, and B. L. Hull -- Determining the effect of soluble protein levels and urea supplementation on ruminally undegradable protein flow in a continuous culture system / K. Griswold and J. L. Firkins -- Estimation of microbial nitrogen flow to the duodenum of cattle based on dry matter intake and diet composition / B. S. Oldick, J. L. Firkins, and N. R. St-Pierre -- Effect of breed and concentrations of dietary crude protein and fiber on milk urea nitrogen / A. J. Kauffman and N. R. St-Pierre -- Quantification of the effectiveness of whole linted cottonseed as a forage substitute for lactating cows when fed with corn differing in ruminal starch availability / D. I. Harvatine, J. E. Winkler, J. L. Firkins, and M. L. Eastridge -- Effects of corn silage hybrid and level of forage NDF on ruminal fermentation and performance of lactating cows / X. Qiu, M. L. Eastridge, and Z. Wang -- Effect of oil content and kernel processing on the nutritional value of corn silage for dairy cows / W. P. Weiss -- Effects of forage NDF and yeast culture on performance of periparturient cows / Z. Wang, M. L. Eastridge, and X. Qiu -- Ohio Dairy Ration Program: now with environmental information / M. L. Eastridge and W. P. Weiss -- Forecasting herd structure, milk production and their variances for production risk management / N. R. St-Pierre, C. S. Thraen, and L. R. Jones -- Using the interests of a dairy farm family and its community to motivate systems-level research with a partnership between the university and the community / F. R. Allaire, D. Stinner, B. Stinner, J. Hartzler, R. Moore, C. Hoy, J. Dorsey, and F. Hitzhuse