Articles by Biodiversivist
My real name is Russ Finley. I also have my own blog called Biodiversivist, which contains articles in addition to those submitted to Grist. I live in Seattle, married with children. Suffice it to say that although I am trained and educated as an engineer, my passion is nature. I very much want my grandchildren to live on a planet where lions, tigers, and bears have not joined the long and growing list of creatures that used to be.
All Articles
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Energy Crops–BTUs Per Acre
When it comes to energy produced per area of food cropland usurped, corn ethanol and soy biodiesel are the worst options available. If you want to obtain energy from the sun, your best option is to grow a crop of solar panels. The solar farm above covers 150 acres. It nets sixty times more BTUs […]
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Using too much lawn fertilizer?
Photo courtesy of roel1943 via Flickr Brace yourself. Here comes another of my thought exercises, again inspired by my latest reading of The Red Queen-Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature by Matt Ridley. Another word of warning–random bursts of dripping sarcasm can be found in places you may not always expect it. Ever wonder […]
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Corn Ethanol Lobby's $ 2.5 million ad campaign
Click here to see my anti-propaganda propaganda film. For the full effect, turn your speakers on before playing it. I see it has already drawn a video response from a company that retrofits cars to run on E-85. I cringe at the thought of the hateful comments this video will elicit. Human nature can be […]
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Domesticated Dogs–Mutualists or Parasites?
Photo courtesy of Dog Tag Art via Flickr This thought exercise was motivated in part by my second reading of The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature (by Matt Ridley) while on a trip to Argentina. The book covers parasitism’s role in evolution. While in Argentina I noticed the stark difference between […]
