Have you ever heard about Bill McKibbens and his three numbers? If not, you might want to read about it, if you are concerned about the future of the earth. In his Rolling Stone article, Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math , McKibben used three simple numbers to explain the serious climate change situation we face right now, and we will face going forward [1]. The first number, 2° Celsius, is the safe number that scientists think increasing global temperature should be below.

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In 1610, Galileo Galilei published the Sidereus Nuncius , or the Starry Messenger, a paper which strongly suggested that Nicolaus Copernicus had been correct when he presented an alternative view of our solar system, over half a century earlier, in which the earth orbited around the sun and not vice versa. In doing so, Galileo changed the world by changing the way people saw themselves in it - shifting the scientific paradigm (Kuhn 1962).

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What is a report card? In a world filled with knowledge, how can you find a way to share ecological knowledge among different groups of people? Literature? Books? Newspapers? How about report cards? Ecological report cards are important tool for integrating diverse data types into simple scores that can be communicated to decision-makers and the general public. “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people”, says poet, William Butler Yeats.

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For some environmental researchers, science is about collecting knowledge. However, it is becoming increasingly necessary that scientists step up and share their work to inform policy and effectively manage environmental problems through public awareness. This requires that we learn how to use mass media outlets such as print, radio, television, and social media so that we can communicate clearly and effectively.

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Environmental crises exist on a continuum varying on the size of the affected area, severity and longevity of effects, level mitigation required, and socioeconomic impacts, all influencing the level of public involvement. Despite the need for immediate action, it is the role of the scientist to ensure adherence to the scientific method.

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If we let it, science can inform many of our decisions in terms of resource management. According to Dr. Ed Houde of Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, science should inform policy, determining whether or not we should fish a population and under what guidelines. That policy then creates management, the rules and regulations set in place, and their subsequent enforcement. The issue though, is that many people still question the science behind management, and with good reason.

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Coastal Louisiana (CL) is an economically valuable, ecologically diverse landscape, containing 40-45%of the wetlands found in the southern states1. Vital at the national scale, CL is especially important to the seafood and shipping industries, and is home to a significant proportion of the nation’s petroleum industry.

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How does ecosystem size affect different environmental management actions? To some extent, a difference in the system scale means variety in the environmental status, research directions, public attention, and management efforts. Therefore, the way of approaching certain management objectives varies based on different size scales. In this blog, we compare five cases along an increasing watershed size gradient (Fig. 1):

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The evidence is overwhelming. The stakes couldn’t be much higher. Consensus exists among scientists1. And yet, the effect of human activities on the climate, at least in the United States, remains a topic of public debate. In fact, only about 61% of Americans polled think that the globe is warming2, and 40% think there is little scientific agreement on the matter3. Toles notes the global implications of climate change and the consequences of inactivity (Washington Post, 19th Feb 2013).

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The management objectives for achieving ecosystem health can be divided into ecosystem objectives, water quality objectives, and human health objectives (Pantus and Dennison 2005). Different population sizes result in different environmental issues and ecosystem management objectives. Therefore, the way of approaching management objectives vary based on different population sizes. In this essay, we compare five case studies along a population gradient (in increasing population size):

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