Ideology, Imagination, and the Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems and Species in the Arid Southwest

Authors: Christopher* Norment

Year: 2015 (xlvii)

Abstract

Drought, population growth, development, and exotic species continue to threaten aquatic ecosystems and species in the arid Southwest. Threats to laws such as the federal Endangered Species Act and declines in public funding for natural resource management may exacerbate these environmental problems. Although scientific research offers better understanding of at-risk species and ecosystems, and suggests effective management strategies, data alone are insufficient. There are two reasons for this: 1) science, with its reductive approach and attention to detail, remains inaccessible to many people; 2) most people are Á¢â‚¬Å“motivated reasoners,Á¢â‚¬Â who tend to deny evidence contradicting strongly held beliefs. Successful defense of aquatic ecosystems and species in the arid Southwest thus requires not only good scientific information, but also strong communication skills, an understanding of the relationship between ideology and science, and political will. It also requires the knowledge that all actions result from acts of the imagination Á¢â‚¬ ’ be it scientific research, Las Vegas, the Ash Meadows Fish Conservation Facility, the extinction of the Tecopa pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis calidae), or the efforts of Jim Deacon and others to save the Pahrump poolfish (Empetrichthys latos latos).