Birds are indicators of the environment. If they are in trouble, we know we'll soon be in trouble.

We assume that everything's becoming more efficient, and in an immediate sense that's true; our lives are better in many ways. But that improvement has been gained through a massively inefficient use of natural resources.

We are now heading down a centuries-long path toward increasing the productivity of our natural capital - the resource systems upon which we depend to live - instead of our human capital.

He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.