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-----Original Message----- From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of [log in to unmask] Sent: Monday, February 28, 2000 1:56 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: human evolution, vegetarianism and EE. L. Dangulits asked: "To Adam, Steve and others of different views, it would be interesting to see where your sources are coming from on this debate of( veganism/ reduction of meat sources/ evolution context ect.) It would give us all some new prespective in this debate of vegatariansim and EE. There seems to be many varying facts out there." Bissell here; My sources about human evolution come from various sources. Over the years I've taken probably 10 or 15 graduate level courses in evolution which touch on the topic of human evolution. I have not tried to keep current on paleoanthropology, but I have read a few books on it. These include: >From Lucy to Language ~ Donald Johanson, et al / Hardcover / Published 1996 In the Age of Mankind: A Smithsonian Book of Human Evolution ~ Roger Lewin, Donald C. Johanson / Paperback / Published 1989 Lucy : The Beginnings of Humankind ~ Donald C. Johanson, Maitland Armstrong Edey (Photographer) / Paperback / Published 1990 Ancestors; In Search of Human Origins Blake Edgar(Contributor), Donald E. Johanson / Hardcover / Published 1994 Blueprints : Solving the Mystery of Evolution Maitland A. Edey, Donald C. Johanson / Hardcover / Published 1992 Journey from the Dawn : Life With the World's First Family Donald Johanson, Kevin O'Farrell Lucy's Child : The Discovery of a Human Ancestor Donald Johanson, James Shreeve Lucy's Child : The Discovery of a Human Ancestor Donald Johanson, James Shreeve All of these sources talk about the *fact* that humans evolved, along with other primates, from a omnivore stock. Probably some little fellow in Northern Africa. Maybe that is the argument, how long have humans been omnivores? What did our Pleistocene ancestors live on? My sources on the implications of this period of human evolution on contemporary environmental problems come from: The Broken Bough, 1975. Edward M. Keating Traces of an omnivore, 1996 The others, 1996 The tender carnivore and the sacred game, 1973 Man in the landscape, 1967 All by Paul Shepard. The biophihilia hypothesis, 1993. S.R. Kellert and E.O. Wilson(eds) I really feel this is not a trivial issue or one of semantics. It really matters what our ecological context is if we are to formulate a responsible environmental ethic. When I see people proposing preposterous ideas about human evolution it bothers me because it leaves the entire field of environmentalism open to charges of scientific illiteracy. A few years ago there were a couple of books out on the idea that humans evolved from some sort of aquatic ancestor. This was done largely to advocate the idea of underwater human-birth. There was also a brief spate of writtings about neantherthals as sort of proto-hippies. All of this would be amusing if it were not for, IMO, the very serious implications of not knowing where you come from and therefore not knowing where you want to get to. As to Leopold's ethic. I still think that it represents the best synoptic statement so far. As to the influence of "A sand county almanac," it was reviewed as recently as November 1999 in the New York Times. Amazon.com reports selling over 40,000 copies a year. It is listed by the New York Public Library as one of the most influential books (of all categories) of the century. A quick search of the Web found about 3000 sites about the Almanac. To say it Leopold and the Almanac are unknown outside of environmental circles is far from correct. I can't find it to hand, but somewhere I have the figure that along with the Koran, the Bible, and a few other books, A sand county almanac, is, in various publications, one of the most commonly published books in the world. But, be that as it may, I suggest to those wanting to know Leopold, read "Game Management," his magnumn opus published in the 1930s. It is still in print and he lays out his future thinking about ethics and the environment. It might surprise some people to find that Leopold was writing as early as the 1920s on ethical issues in the environment. His consistent theme was that ecology and evolution could, if properly understood, assist us in making not only intelligent decisions about the environment, but ethical ones as well. 'nuf space taken up today. Steven %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%