Strange Natures
WARNING
You are viewing an older version of the Yalebooks website. Please visit out new website with more updated information and a better user experience: https://www.yalebooks.com
Conservation in the Era of Synthetic Biology
Kent H. Redford and William M. Adams
View Inside
Format: HardcoverPrice: $32.50
A groundbreaking examination of the implications of synthetic biology for biodiversity conservation
“It is impressive how the book manages to be so rich in perspectives on such a complex and controversial phenomenon, yet so cautiously and open-mindedly written that it invites contemplation and reflection rather than hasty conclusions.”—Adam Wickberg, Global Environmental Politics
Nature almost everywhere survives on human terms. The distinction between what is natural and what is human-made, which has informed conservation for centuries, has become blurred. When scientists can reshape genes more or less at will, what does it mean to conserve nature?
The tools of synthetic biology are changing the way we answer that question. Gene editing technology is already transforming the agriculture and biotechnology industries. What happens if synthetic biology is also used in conservation to control invasive species, fight wildlife disease, or even bring extinct species back from the dead?
Conservation scientist Kent Redford and geographer Bill Adams turn to synthetic biology, ecological restoration, political ecology, and de-extinction studies and propose a thoroughly innovative vision for protecting nature.
Kent H. Redford is Principal at Archipelago Consulting and has worked for The Nature Conservancy and the Wildlife Conservation Society. William M. Adams is Emeritus Moran Chair of Conservation and Development at the University of Cambridge.
Publication Date: June 22, 2021
9 b/w illus.
Discussion Questions for groups and book clubs (PDF)
Study Guide for students (PDF)
