Where Do We Go from Here? An Outsider’s View

This brief paper offers an overview of the book. A synthesis of the ideas advanced serves as the basis for identifying goals worthy of sustained effort, essential new directions, non-productive pursuits, and intractable problems. Main conclusions of the review include three recommendations: 1 Accept humans as real and continuing components of these systems. The “balance of nature” and “leave it alone and it will recover” arguments are dangerous myths. 2 Carefully select allies from the ranks of those engaged in policy making. Legislation and legislators have shorter life spans than treaties. 3 Design and conduct a small set of restoration experiments. A demonstrable success offers evidence to scientists and encouragement to the public.