Author Archives: Emmett Duffy

About Emmett Duffy

I am a Natural Patriot and an ecologist with expertise in biodiversity and its importance to human society. My day job is Professor of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary in Virginia.

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Posted on 28 March 2011 by Emmett Duffy

Dear Friends, Perhaps you’ve noticed my distraction lately, that I haven’t seemed to pay as much attention to the NP as I used to, perhaps even that the magic seems gone. Well I can’t live the lie any longer–I’ve been … Continue reading →

Posted in et cetera, Oceans | Leave a comment

Posted on 4 March 2011 by Emmett Duffy

[Hot off the presses, from Eurekalert. Also covered in Science Daily and various other venues. ] Will loss of plant diversity compromise Earth’s life-support systems? Meta-analysis and reflections on two decades of biodiversity research provide some answers and reveal new … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity, Science, Sustainability | Tagged natural capital, research | Leave a comment

Posted on 25 February 2011 by Emmett Duffy

[Henceforth, the series formerly know as Friday poetry shall be called Friday Soul, in recognition of the fact that I may at some stage elect to feature something other than poetry. But don't be alarmed, I don't see the general … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and media, Poetry | Tagged soul | Leave a comment

Posted on 23 February 2011 by Emmett Duffy

Food prices are rising. Again. And the scramble is on to figure out who to blame: climate change?  Biofuels? Good old capitalist greed? Just this morning the New York Times published a discussion panel on the issue: “Is the world … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Sustainability | Tagged climate, economics, fishing, food, population | 3 Comments

Posted on 12 February 2011 by Emmett Duffy

[Based in part on my evaluation for the Faculty of 1000, accessible only by subscription I'm afraid] The pervasive detrimental impacts of overfishing on marine life and ecosystems have been widely publicized in recent years, ratcheting up calls for stricter … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity, Oceans, Science, Sustainability | Tagged economics, fishing, food, population, research | 2 Comments

Posted on 11 February 2011 by Emmett Duffy

[Editor's note: I can't get enough of Mary Oliver. There are few poets, writers, or artists of any kind that so consistently make me catch my breath, that give me the sensation of suddenly falling away into a new world.] … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry | Tagged soul | Leave a comment

Posted on 5 February 2011 by Emmett Duffy

[The alternate post title that I really wanted to use: "My brief reign as one of the world's leading intellectuals"] It smelled a little off from the beginning, I’ll admit. But, as I say, I’m not immune to flattery. So … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and media, Politics, Science, Sustainability | Tagged happiness | 5 Comments

Posted on 4 February 2011 by Emmett Duffy

[Editor's note: Admittedly we're well into the new year, but it's a new year for the Natural Patriot. We've heard from this volume by W.S. Merwin before, about which a reviewer has commented "Each of the 100-plus poems in Merwin's … Continue reading →

Posted in Biophilia, Poetry | 1 Comment

Posted on 3 February 2011 by Emmett Duffy

[This article was an invited piece for the American Institute of Biological Sciences' Action Bioscience online site. I had occasion to mull its content afresh recently after a visit to the University of British Columbia's Fisheries Centre, whose "Sea Around … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity, Oceans, Sustainability | Tagged fishing, food, natural capital, research, restoration | 1 Comment

Posted on 1 February 2011 by Emmett Duffy

To ease into the groove of the revived Natural Patriot, I’m starting with the easy stuff: some of the arguably noteworthy developments that transpired during the touch-and-go months of social-networking coma. First up: the latest on our algal biofuel project, … Continue reading →

Posted in Science, Sustainability | Tagged algae, energy, research | 5 Comments

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