In Defense of Mud
Deevey ES. 1970. In Defense of Mud. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 51(1):5-8
Limnology, the study of inland waters, has been called one of the earth sciences, but I hesitate to stress that name in public. In an age that glorifies celestial mechanics, matters "of the earth, earthy" have to be etheralized before they appeal to earthlings. I suppose the PR trouble about earth science begins with the ancient notion of the four elements. Water, air, and fire - the admired constituents - can all be conceived as pure. But "pure earth" seems to be a contradiction in terms, earth being the one unpurifiable element that sullies everything else. My subject being a turbid mixture of earth and pure water, irreparably corrupted by germs, I find the public preoccupation with unearthly problems a little unrealistic; but it warns me not to try to make mud glamorous. It will be enough, I hope, to show that it is a necessary part of the worldly scheme of things.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Deevey, Edward
- Units
- SODN
- Keywords
- Ecology, Management, Natural Resource