Over Zoom. In the early 1970s, at the Vietnam war's height, Dr. Orians traveled to Vietnam with a fellow scientist to consider what the war was doing to the biological environment of the country. What they encountered there was not only the devastating destruction of biological diversity but also of livable habitat and food supplies. Additionally, they drew some fascinating insights into news reports and what was actually happening on the ground. Orians is an HGP favorite, a U. Washington Professor Emeritus of Biology, has served as its Director of Environmental Studies, and has served on National Academies.