Michael Tobias
Michael Charles Tobias (born June 27, 1951) is an American author, environmentalist, mountaineer, and filmmaker.[1][2] In 1991, Tobias produced a ten-hour dramatic television series, Voice of the Planet, for Turner Broadcasting; the series starred William Shatner. Tobias has written numerous books, most notably World War III: Population and the Biosphere at the End of the Millennium.
Michael Charles Tobias | |
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Michael Tobias with a cheetah | |
Born | June 27, 1951 |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Author Environmentalist Anthropologist Mountaineer Filmmaker |
Early life and career
In 1977, Tobias received a PhD from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in the History of Consciousness, a humanities department. H
He directed a mountaineering film in 1984. Called Cloudwalker, it was recorded for the UK's Channel 4. The film chronicled a failed attempt at an ascent on the Moose's Tooth[3] in the Ruth Gorge Amphitheatre of Alaska's McKinley range (now Denali).
Conservation
Michael Tobias's PBS film Ahimsa –Nonviolence premiered in the United States on December 25, 1987.[4] Taking three years to make, it was the first major film to portray the life of Jains (a religious group) in India.[4] Southeast Asian religions professor Christopher Chapple said that the film "elegantly portrays several Jain leaders and extols the religion as the great champion of animal rights and nonviolent living."[5]
In a cover story for the New York Academy of Sciences publication The Sciences, Tobias called for an Antarctic World Park,[6] citing threats to the potential area for large-scale habitat preservation. He released a 1987 PBS film entitled Antarctica: The Last Continent with a similar topic, proposing the creation of an "international park" in Antarctica similar to national parks in the US.[7] According to The Christian Science Monitor, the film explores "the discovery of Antarctica and the multinational claims to ownership."[7]
In a Discovery Channel documentary about the Exxon Valdez disaster, named Black Tide, he considered the dilemma of safely using oil resources.[8]
Tobias has been involved in wildlife preservation efforts. In New Zealand, he has overseen ecological restoration of a peninsula in the far south of the country, adjoining Rakiura National Park.[9]
Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, first wife of the fourth king of Bhutan, described Tobias's efforts as being "invaluable for policymakers and scientists ... [and] inspiration for the next generation of young ecologists wanting to make a difference in the world."[10]
Population and environment
Tobias wrote a book about the growing world population, the environment, and the potential for a third world war called World War III: Population and the Biosphere at the End of the Millennium.
The magazine Psychology Today wrote that it "reads like a volcano erupting ... Tobias throws sparks like an evangelist and has the old-fashioned, wide-ranging erudition of a Renaissance scholar."[11] Scientist Marc Lappé described World War III as "a lengthy and complex treatise that is a distillation of a lifetime of thought and action concerning the human condition. ... It provides a thread of hope, offering a new vision about how humankind may ultimately come to peace with nature."[12] Anthropologist Jane Goodall, writing of the book in 1998, said, "Tobias describes for us a path that we could take – a path mapped out by a combination of scientific, logical, intuitive, and spiritual reasoning – towards a future where all is not, after all, lost." In her foreword to World War III, she also said that Tobias has provided "ample scientific proof of the large-scale habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity that has and continues to take place."[13] In 1994, during the UN International Conference on Population and Development, the Montreal Gazette quoted Tobias: "For purposes of absolute clarity I call it World War III," as The Gazette extrapolated from Tobias's perspective, "the most terrifying problem humanity has ever faced."[14]
Tobias directed a feature-film documentary called No Vacancy, which is based on his book and also focuses on the growing world population.[15] Journalist Ellen Snortland, writing in the Pasadena Weekly, stated that "No Vacancy, written and directed by Michael Tobias, is to the world's population explosion what Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth is to global warming."[16]
Other works
Tobias received the international Courage of Conscience Award in 1996.[17]
In 2004, Tobias received the Parabola Magazine Focus Award.[18]
He delivered the annual address at the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies in March 2012 as the opening for a symposium on conservation biology, animal rights, and comparative religions.[19] Ingrid Newkirk, co-founder and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, described Tobias as "one of the world's great souls."[20] In 2013, Tobias gave an address to the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies, the Research Centre for Sustainable Development, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences at their annual conference in Tianjin and Binhai.[21][22] He has also given addresses in Monterrey, Mexico, for the Fifth Conference on Worldwide Values,[23] and at the 21st International Meeting of the Club of Budapest in Hungary.[24]
Tobias is an honorary member of the Club of Budapest.[25]
Teaching
From 2001 to 2002, Tobias was Regents Lecturer at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in Environmental Studies.[27] In 2016, he was a Martha Daniel Newell Visiting Scholar at Georgia College & State University.[28]
Selected works
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Films |
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References
- See "Michael Tobias," pp.269–278, People Promoting And People Opposing Animal Rights – In Their Own Words, ed. by John M. Kistler, Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, 2002.
- "Michael Tobias | Transition World". Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- Team, Jeff Lowe Metanoia. "The Adventure Theatre Presents Jeff Lowe Films at OR". SNEWS. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- "'Ahimsa-NonViolence': Dr. Tobias's PBS Documentary Film Presentation | Georgia College News and Events". frontpage.gcsu.edu. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence in the Web of Life, edited by Christopher Key Chapple, Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard Divinity School, Religions of the World and Ecology Series, 2002.
- "The Next Wasteland: Can the Spoiling of Antarctica Be Stopped?" by Michael Tobias, The Sciences, March/April 1989, pp.18–24
- "Antarctica's prospects clouded by treaty's impending end". Christian Science Monitor. 1987-08-17. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
- "'Black Tide'; Discovery's 'Tide' Examines Alaska Oil Spill," by Patricia Brennan, Washington Post Staff Writer, March 18, 1990, The Washington Post Sunday Edition
- "Island fence set to enhance biodiversity," by Phil McCarthy, Southland Times, Invercargill, New Zealand, April 14th, 2005: "It was an important conservation tool to help restore native flora and fauna in a region of outstanding historic biodiversity, " Tobias said.
- From the Queen of Bhutan's foreword to Sanctuary: Global Oases of Innocence, by Michael Tobias and Jane Gray Morrison, p. ix, Council Oak Books.
- Psychology Today, "What's next?"
- "So Many People . . . How Will We Feed Them? : WORLD WAR III: Population and the Biosphere at the End of the Millennium, By Michael Tobias (Bear & Co.: $29.95; 656 pp.)". Los Angeles Times. 1994-11-27. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- p.12, Jane Goodall's foreword to World War III – Population And The Biosphere At The End Of The Millennium, by Michael Tobias, 2nd Edition, Continuum Publishing Company, New York, 1998.
- "Cairo's an apt site for UN population conference," by Mark Abley, The Gazette, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, September 3, 1994. www.lexisnexis.com/us/Inacademic/frame.do?tokenKey-rsh-20.640961.830
- "No Vacancy". Gillespie foundation. 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- Snortland, Ellen (Aug 10, 2006). "No Vacancy". Pasadena Weekly. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
- "Recipients of the Courage of Conscience Award | the Peace Abbey FoundationThe Peace Abbey Foundation". www.peaceabbey.org. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- Explore the Power of Myth in film at Mythic Journeys [www.mythicjourneys.org/PR_film_festival-rev3.pdf]
- "12th Annual Jaina Lecture: Mahavira, Don Quixote and the history of ecological ethics and idealism". SOAS, University of London. 2012-03-21.
- Sherrow, Michelle (14 June 2011). "Meet 'One of the World's Great Souls'". PETA.
- "Dr Michael Charles Tobias addresses the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- "Aliyun and Chinese Academy of Sciences Sign MoU for Quantum Computing Laboratory". article.wn.com. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- "Michael Charles Tobias en Encuentro Mundial de Valores". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
- "Michael Tobias – Nature, Animals and Ethics Revolution". mahb.stanford.edu. 2015-02-02. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
- "Club of Budapest | Home". www.clubofbudapest.org. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
- "Green Conversations". Forbes.
- "University of California, Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures" (PDF). Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- Sofala, Aubrie. "Ecologist Michael Charles Tobias joins Georgia College as 2016 Newell Scholar". Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- "The Mountain Spirit". americanalpineclub.org. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "Chateau Beyond Time". publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- "Talari Product Page" (PDF). theanarchistlibrary.org. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "MOUNTAIN PEOPLE". kirkusreviews.com. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "'VOICE OF THE PLANET' DELIVERS MESSAGE FROM EARTH". sun-sentinel.com. 1991-02-18. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
- Stableford, Brian. Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia. Internet Archive. Taylor & Francis. p. 223. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
fatal exposure michael tobias.
- "JAINISM". wabash.edu. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "ONE MAN'S VISION LEARN BY LISTENING TO THE EARTH". washingtonpost.com. 1991-02-17. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- Herzogenrath, Bernd (2001). From Virgin Land to Disney World: Nature and Its Discontents in the USA. ISBN 9042013966. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- Baker, Ian (2 May 2006). The Heart of the World: A Journey to Tibet's Lost Paradise. ISBN 9781101117804. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "A parliament of souls : in search of global spirituality : interviews with 28 spiritual leaders from around the world". searchworks.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "Book review: Michael Tobias's India 24 Hours". indiatoday.in. 1996-03-31. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "KIRKUS REVIEW". kirkusreviews.com. 2010-05-20. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- Bleier, Ronald (1997-03-01). "Feeding the Population Monster". desip.igc.org. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "A Day in the Life of India". hinduismtoday.com. 1997-02-01. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "UCLA Journal of Environmental Law and Policy". heinonline.org. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "Kinship with the animals / edited by Michael Tobias and Kate Solisti-Mattelon". trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "Kinship with animals – Unlearning Speciesim" (PDF). trove.nla.gov.au. 2004-03-02. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "David Casselman and His New One Million Square Acre Cambodian Wildlife Sanctuary". juliettespeaks.org. 2013-02-24. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
- "Anthrozoology: Embracing Co-existence in the Anthropocene". psychologytoday.com. 2017-01-13. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
- "The EARTH QUARTET — Four Novels by Michael Charles Tobias". bookloversreview.com. 2018-04-22. Retrieved 2019-09-10.
- "Hope on Earth: A Conversation". washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com. 2014-05-29. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
- "The Psychology of "Saving the World" in the Anthropocene". psychologytoday.com. 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
- "Deep Eco-Psychology, Non-Violent Activism, and Science". psychologytoday.com. 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
- "Anthrozoology: Embracing Co-existence in the Anthropocene". psychologytoday.com. 2017-01-13. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
- "THE THEORETICAL INDIVIDUAL by Michael Tobias and Jane Morrison". bookloversreview.com. 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
- Laszlo, Ervin; Tobias, Michael (2018-06-12). The Tuscany Dialogues: Human Consciousness, Ecology and the Universe. ISBN 9781590794517. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
- "The EARTH QUARTET — Four Novels by Michael Charles Tobias". bookloversreview.com. 2018-04-22. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
- "The Eradication of Diphtheria Tetanus". mahb.stanford.edu. 2018-07-10. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
- "Bionomics in the Dragon Kingdom". kuenselonline.com. 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
- "How Evolution Can Help Us Solve Problems". psychologytoday.com. 2019-06-06. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
- "San Francisco Greek Film Festival: North California welcomes Greek Cinema". greektv.com. 2015-04-29. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
- "Michael Tobias". bfi.org.uk. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
- "The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour". americanarchive.org. 1986-12-19. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
- "Antarctica's prospects clouded by treaty's impending end". csmonitor.com. 1987-08-17. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
- "'Ahimsa-NonViolence': Dr. Tobias's PBS Documentary Film Presentation". gcsu.edu. 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
- "THE TV COLUMN". washingtonpost.com. 1988-05-02. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
- Williams, Oliver F.; Houck, John W. (1992). A Virtuous Life in Business. ISBN 9780847677474. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
- "Element one [videorecording] /Hydrogen 2000, Inc. presents in association with Cognizant Films ; produced by William Hoagland, Geoffrey Holland ; written & directed by Michael Tobias". elib.upm.edu.my. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- "Jam packed : the challenge of human overpopulation". berry.edu. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- "Legends and Dreamers Inspired by Arizona Highways". vhsisland.com. 2015-04-22. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
- "At Home in the Universe: The Life and Times of William Shatner" (PDF). ubc.ca. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
- A parliament of minds : philosophy for a new millennium. OCLC 48127065.
- "A Whale of a Tale: The Whale Shark Hunters of the Philippines". documentary.org. 1999-09-01. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
- "Ammachi's Video". hinduismtoday.com. 2001-03-01. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
- "'The Last Stand' Increases Awareness of the Environment". documentary.org. 2001-09-01. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
- "The View From Malabar". cml.bibliocommons.com. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
- Nicholls, Jack (2011-12-20). "Countdown: The Sky's On Fire". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. New York: St Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-09618-2. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
- "24 hours in life of Dubai". gulfnews.com. 2003-04-30. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
- "History". azpbs.org. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
- "Dubai goes live for global audience". khaleejtimes.com. 2003-09-18. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
- "J.C. Leyendecker: America's "Other" Illustrator". tfaoi.com. 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
- "The Hydrogen age : energy solutions for the 21st century, Films for the Humanities & Sciences". link.colby.edu. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- "Documentary Film MAD COWBOY, The Story of Howard Lyman". humanedecisions.com. 2017-06-15. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- "No Vacancy". pasadenaweekly.com. 2006-08-10. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
- "Governor's Commission on the 21st Century Economy / Environmental Hotspots". kqed.org. 2008-12-12. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
- Sherrow, Michelle (14 June 2011). "Meet 'One of the World's Great Souls'". PETA.
- Tobias, Michael Charles; Morrison, Jane Gray (21 April 2019). The Hypothetical Species: Variables of Human Evolution. ISBN 9783030113193. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
- ""Ecosystems on the Edge" on Youtube". insider.si.edu. 2013-07-02. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
- "Students partner with Newell Scholar to create documentary 'bioreverie'". frontpage.gcsu.edu. 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2019-08-26.