In the end, our society
will be defined not only by what we create but by what we refuse to
destroy.
(John Sawhill, former
president of The Nature Conservancy)
A reflection of ourselves
Our national parks and
preserves are located in all regions of the country (Our NationalParks), but they are in need of help. From budget cuts, discussed
previously, to climate change this remarkable American creation,
which goes back more than 100 years, is under threat in the 21st
century.
Shrinking available water
supplies affects ecosystems and species survival. Non-native plants,
insects, snakes and reptiles encroach on native plants and animal
ecosystems and ultimately can result in extinction. It's estimated
that approximately 6,500 non-native species are now intruding on
native plants and animals.
Air pollution has no
boundaries. Such things as coal plants and automobiles affect both
air quality and visibility, which over time poisons plants, fouls
water resources and threatens vulnerable species. A warming planet is
affecting glaciers in our national parks, fire season is becoming
longer and more severe, food production could decrease and
eco-patterns may change more quickly and threaten numerous species …
including humans.
Because of budget cuts
deferred maintenance is increasing rapidly, estimated to be well over
$7 billion at the present time. Roads are in disrepair, trails
closed, restrooms shut and “out of order” signs appearing
everywhere. At the same time, more visitors are arriving at our
national parks, an estimated 45 million annually. The difficulty is
that more visitors mean more problems requiring better service and
upkeep.
Beware of the big bad wolf
You can take your tree
hugging, granola eating politically correct, earth worshiping, subaru
driving, pony tailed sandals in the winter, wolf loving butt
somewhere else!
(A sign near Salmon,
Idaho, home of the annual Coyote and Wolf Derby)
In old European
superstitions it is believed to be unlucky to say the word “wolf”
in the month of December, for you run the risk of being attacked by
one. On the other hand, wolves are prominent in Native American
mythology and many Indians oppose the hunting of wolves. It is
believed by some tribes that wolves are family members and the human
spirit comes from wolves.
In general,
European-Americans from the very beginning have had a total disregard
for wildlife. We have slaughtered and butchered animals with abandon
from the moment we set foot on the North American continent. We
pretty much have belonged to the school of “dominion over” rather
than “stewardship of.”
Even in the late 19th
century there were reports of the day time sky darkening because of
the migration of millions of passenger pigeons flying overhead. The
bird tasted good and was easy to kill. On September 1, 1914 Martha,
the last captive passenger pigeon, died at the Cincinnati Zoo. We
rarely know the specific date that a species goes extinct, an
extinction we humans caused.
Kill 'em all and then some
Salmon, Idaho holds a four
day Coyote and Wolf Derby every year. Salmon is a rural ranching
community and in its own way reflects a dark part of an American past
that should be in the Museum of Natural History but still exists
today in small pockets throughout the country. Keep in mind that the
livestock industry “hates” predators of every kind and always
has. Science and objective observation have little to do with it.
The object of the hunt is to
kill coyotes and wolves as fast as possible. It is killing for the
sake of killing. Prizes of $1,000 are awarded for the most animals
killed. Special awards are also given to children who demonstrate
prowess in this slaughter.
Of particular interest is
that part of the hunt takes place on federal lands—meaning public.
Supposedly, oversight responsibility rests with the Forest Service
and the Bureau of Land Management, who seemingly vanish shortly
before and during this cultural celebration of human blood-lust.
The steak tastes bad
Climatologists are telling
us with a “high level” of certainty that our warming planet,
since 1950 at least, is caused primarily because of what we humans
have been doing to the Earth. Yes, it's us.
In terms of global warming,
meat production is especially harmful and beef production may be the
most damaging form of meat. Cows produce methane emissions, a
powerful greenhouse gas. Many methods of cattle production demand
large tracts of land, contribute to the destruction of forests and
trees are burned releasing CO2. Cattle production more often than not
requires huge amounts of water and fertilizer.
If the whole world ate beef
at the rate of Americans and produced by methods that are usual in
the U.S., we'd likely have little chance of staying below
internationally agreed limits on global warming.
So what, why it matters for
every one of us, and what can really be done about it?
TO BE CONTINUED
The Ethos of Death
These two articles in
particular tell us something about the political reality in America,
the cult of death and the on-going land swindle that continues
currently. The disease can be cured if we choose.
THE RIGHTS of NATURE
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