The scenario described in the paper below actually prompted the establishment of a great swathe in environmental research in Australia, including a large research institution-industry cooperative, now known as the eWater CRC. The extent of such research and collaboration has waned. Is this a sad fact - we need to be scared into doing basic research?
Article An Economic Analysis of the Eutrophication Problem of the Ba...
Unhappily, actual or looming ecological disasters drive public awareness, be it the Torry Canyon oil spill in European waters , large scale eutrophication of inland or marine waters. or the ozone hole in polar atmospheres. In follow up action by private or public entities are more likely, which may end in better management of the environment. However disaster driven reaction is an indication that management and research is not sufficiently targeted. Happily there are also a number of examples - such as the French-Swiss convention from 1962 to protect Lake Geneva (Le Leman), or urban air-pollution abatement in Germany , or eutrophication of Baltic and North Seas that were taken by insight in the long-term (economic) consequences. More and regular study of economic value of well-functioning ecosystems is needed, what is more likely to happen in developed densely populated regions, in which "dilution is the solution to pollution" is not an easy (first) option.
Hence the strong signal of the Anthropocene continues then Martin! Acid rain in Germany prompted air pollution controls..? Hardly pre-emptive, or visionary
I would share your appreciation regarding "acid rain". The (European) high chimney policy was a (classical) attempt to apply "dilution is the solution to pollution", with the expected failure. However action against urban air-polution (close to the bottom) was taken before impacts were noticed as "disaster". It was just too close to your nose, what is neither pre-emptive or visionary.
It depends on the nature of the catastrophe, some of these effects have been set in motion in such a way that management efforts is not a mere salvaging of remnants of the environment in terms of biota but continuous responses to ripple-effects of these disasters e.g nuclear disasters
Does this response to ripple effects as you describe to lead to better environmental management? I am not clear if that is your argument. The nuclear example is a very extreme one; certainly arguably more extreme than an algal bloom (which was the example I started with by citing the paper above)
Although the idea of better environmental management may subjective in definition, environments rarely return to pristine conditions after impacts have occurred.
Thus my point is that u don't need an ecological catastrophe to develop sound management strategies to protect the environment.
This article documents how Eutrophication 'catastrophes' in Australia has driven the broader communities desire for research
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225600623_Eutrophication_in_Australian_Rivers_Reservoirs_and_Estuaries__A_Southern_Hemisphere_Perspective_on_the_Science_and_its_Implications?ev=prf_pub
Article Eutrophication in Australian Rivers, Reservoirs and Estuarie...
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