Joseph Burger

“In October 1838, fifteen months after I had begun my systematic inquiry, I happened to read for amusement Malthus on Population, and being prepared to appreciate the struggle for existence which everywhere goes on, from long-continued observations of the habits of animals and plants, it at once struck me that under these circumstances favourable variations would tend to be preserved, and unfavorouable ones to be destroyed. The result would be the formation of a new species.”

-Charles Darwin 1887

Charles Darwin’s explanation of the origin of species by natural selection was inspired by “Essay on the Principle of Population” written by Thomas Malthus, a political economist. The theory of natural selection is now the overarching paradigm in ecology and evolutionary biology. As for Malthus – his essay has been criticized, but the premises are still relevant: resources and energy from natural systems are increasingly being allocated to human systems in order to fuel our exponentially growing population and consumption. Although the links between ecology and economics are apparent, genuine synthesis remains a challenge. My interests in both natural history and economics have inspired me to bridge the gap between the natural and social sciences in an effort to address contemporary issues in global sustainability.

The most pressing issues in global sustainability transgress traditional academic boundaries; resolving these complex issues through interdisciplinary collaboration and genuine, holistic approaches is necessary to achieve global sustainability.

Robbie Burger http://web.mac.com/robbieburger