Daily Archives: February 22, 2015

Wednesday, March 4, 7:00 pm – Unnatural Selection

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Join author Emily Monosson at Porter Square Books, 25 White Street (Porter Square Shopping Center in Cambridge) on Wednesday, March 4 at 7 pm for a discussion on her latest book Unnatural Selection: How We are Changing Life, Gene by Gene.

Gonorrhea. Bed bugs. Weeds. Salamanders. People. All are evolving, some surprisingly rapidly, in response to our chemical age. In Unnatural Selection, Emily Monosson shows how our drugs, pesticides, and pollution are exerting intense selection pressure on all manner of species. And we humans might not like the result.  Monosson reveals that the very code of life is more fluid than once imagined. When our powerful chemicals put the pressure on to evolve or die, beneficial traits can sweep rapidly through a population. Species with explosive population growth — the bugs, bacteria, and weeds — tend to thrive, while bigger, slower-to-reproduce creatures, like ourselves, are more likely to succumb.

Monosson explores contemporary evolution in all its guises. She examines the species that we are actively trying to beat back, from agricultural pests to life-threatening bacteria, and those that are collateral damage — creatures struggling to adapt to a polluted world. Monosson also presents cutting-edge science on gene expression, showing how environmental stressors are leaving their mark on plants, animals, and possibly humans for generations to come.

Unnatural Selection is eye-opening and more than a little disquieting. But it also suggests how we might lessen our impact: manage pests without creating super bugs; protect individuals from disease without inviting epidemics; and benefit from technology without threatening the health of our children.

Emily Monosson is an environmental toxicologist, writer, and consultant. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, author of Evolution in a Toxic World: How Life Responds to Chemical Threats, and editor of Motherhood: The Elephant in the Laboratory.

For more information visit www.portersquarebooks.com.

Monday, March 9, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm – Water Conservation: Landscape Design Strategies

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Each year millions are spent on designing, building, and maintaining landscapes that use too many unsustainable resources and rely on unsustainable practices. There is little thought given to water conservation in traditional landscape design and the result is a continuing depletion of our water resources. Gary Krause is committed to landscapes designed with water conservation in mind. As drought conditions become the norm in many parts of the country, the need for water-conscious landscape design becomes more critical. This Ecological Landscaping Alliance webinar presentation on Monday, March 9 from 5:30 – 6:30 will address many water conservation techniques including plant choices, material selection, and irrigation options. With careful planning, landscape designs can provide alternatives to our clients and create sustainable landscapes that are both beautiful and water-conscious.

Gary Krause holds a degree in design and maintains a wide range of certifications including permeable pavers, drainage systems, rainwater harvesting, and is a Certified Sustainable Landscaper. Gary has over 30 years’ experience in gardening, landscape design, construction, and maintenance. Gary believes that the future for sustainable landscapes is very promising thanks to all of the new technology in plant genetics, ‘Smart Water’ irrigation products, and other water-conserving innovations.
– See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-water-conservation-landscape-design-strategies/#sthash.lCiWYbzT.dpuf