This course connects ecology and society?past, present, and future. We will start with one of the largest ecosystems on the planet, yet among the least known?the northern peatlands. Deep beneath their surfaces you can read Earth?s climate, past and present. An ancient time when peatland growth was poor corresponds exactly to the collapse of the Old Kingdom of Egypt. Another when growth was good corresponds to the Silk Road across Eurasia, with numerous other societal connections extending to today?showing how happenings in the past can recur in the future. We will examine human endeavor in forms of the verb "to be"?how science represents "what is," engineering "what can be," ethics "what ought to be," and government "what shall be"?with the arts putting it all together. We shall think about how this progression makes government forever the most difficult branch of human endeavor. We will incorporate the possibilist agenda when we consider how to restore the planet for all of the world?s creatures while feeding our human population. This course is designed for those who would like to apply ecological knowledge to the future of the world, more than for those who will be focused on detailed ecological research.
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