The Myth of Sustaining the Earth's Ecosystems

Sustainability is a contentious topic, attracting a variety of views from different interest groups. In the American West, disagreements over what is needed to achieve sustainable ecosystems often pit ranchers against environmentalists and makes progress on policy and management difficult. In this lecture, Rob Woodmansee, a range ecologist at Colorado State University, discusses the competing views of sustainability. Woodmansee argues, “what you see depends on where you sit,” and suggests that achieving a sustainable future must recognize and understand the many different perspectives.