The Current

Invasive Species Council responds to Fred Pearce interview

We got our very own lesson in the ferocity of feedback this week as so many people got knotted-up over Japanese Knotweed. Last week we heard from Fred Pearce on why he thinks we've got it all wrong when it comes to invasive species. Today, round two on the topic with a different perspective.
According to Gail Wallin of the Canadian Council on Invasive Species, Japanese Knotweed is not t just a suburban problem as Fred Pearce says, it is harming our salmon because the knotweed clogs riversides. (Japanese Knotweed Solutions and inspectinginvaders.blogspot.ca)

Last week we heard from Fred Pearce. His book is called, "The New Wild: Why Invasive Species will be Nature's Salvation." He explained why he thinks we've got it all wrong when it comes to invasive species. 

"We're just very negative about them. We seem to think that they are destroying nature, that they are causing mass extinctions around the world ... that they are generally ecological terrorists, if you like. I think that the opposite is true, I think they're part of the solution to the ecological problems that we have today... especially things like climate change."- Fred Pearce on Invasive Species as a positive

Listen to our full interview:

They crawl or swim, they even take root, but we're convinced they're not supposed to be there. We live in a world where invasive species are an environmental red alert. What if we're wrong? Author Fred Pearce aims to change the way you see the outdoors.

Our interview with Fred Pearce prompted a number of our listeners to write in, taking issue with what he had to say. 

One of the people we heard from was, Gail Wallin, Co-Chair  of the Canadian Council on Invasive Species. We wanted to add her perspective to this discussion. She joined Anna Maria from Vancouver.
 

This segment was produced by The Current's Marc Apollonio.