ANWR and The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
This morning I heard that the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, long thought to be extinct, has reared it's head again in the southern U.S.. Ornithologists from Cornell U. have been hunting for it for a year, and only obsered one seven times in the same area. There is apparently a convincing video tape. This is such great news!
I often think about all the wonderful animals and plants that we have lost, and I can't help wanting to throttle our "lawmakers" who propose things like drilling for oil in the Arcitc Wildlife Refuge. Yesterday, I visited ANWAR's website, and found to my horror what I read to be a big chunk of right-wing propaganda, stating how drilling for oil wouldn't affect the animals, etc.
WTF?
The website went on the adopt that general attitude that there would be no harm done. No harm done? Is anybody taking a look at what's going on in Iraq? Hello?
This is what happens when oil comes to town, folks. Except this time it will be OUR wildlife, instead of some country half a world away.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am in no way stating that U.S. wildlife is more important than any people. In fact, I believe it would be the oil companies, our government, and gung-ho supporters of the oil industry who are the ones belittling life on this planet, in all forms.
What I am saying is that usually the whole "not in my backyard" theory is enough to motivate people to action. And I must say, that Moveon.org did a kick-ass job of motivating people this week. The bill didn't pass. But, you know it will come up again for vote in another form.
I would love to see somebody do a study on the geographical proximity required for the general public to be motivated. Apparently, Alaska is still too far away, and we know Vietnam and Iraq are way off the radar of most Americans.
I can't help but think about the parallels between extinct species, and the loss of tribal peoples, cultures, and whole languages.
I was recently reading a book about how many Native American languages and tribes have been lost. It breaks my heart, and we are subtley doing it every day as we push out indigenous cultural practices in many countries, even our own, and replace them with "Wal-Mart Savings" and Mc-culture.
What we don't kill, we indoctrinate.
We genetically modify food and give it to starving third world countires, saying that it will provide all their nutrition, as if this act weren't making a population now dependant upon us for their very lives;
Danish ornithologists have discovered that birds are now mimicking cell phones;
Companies are growing plants with human genes embedded in them to "grow" medicine;
and STILL, 17% of all African American men in 2001 have served time in jail.
The tracks are twisted, and we have to stop this train.
I often think about all the wonderful animals and plants that we have lost, and I can't help wanting to throttle our "lawmakers" who propose things like drilling for oil in the Arcitc Wildlife Refuge. Yesterday, I visited ANWAR's website, and found to my horror what I read to be a big chunk of right-wing propaganda, stating how drilling for oil wouldn't affect the animals, etc.
WTF?
The website went on the adopt that general attitude that there would be no harm done. No harm done? Is anybody taking a look at what's going on in Iraq? Hello?
This is what happens when oil comes to town, folks. Except this time it will be OUR wildlife, instead of some country half a world away.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am in no way stating that U.S. wildlife is more important than any people. In fact, I believe it would be the oil companies, our government, and gung-ho supporters of the oil industry who are the ones belittling life on this planet, in all forms.
What I am saying is that usually the whole "not in my backyard" theory is enough to motivate people to action. And I must say, that Moveon.org did a kick-ass job of motivating people this week. The bill didn't pass. But, you know it will come up again for vote in another form.
I would love to see somebody do a study on the geographical proximity required for the general public to be motivated. Apparently, Alaska is still too far away, and we know Vietnam and Iraq are way off the radar of most Americans.
I can't help but think about the parallels between extinct species, and the loss of tribal peoples, cultures, and whole languages.
I was recently reading a book about how many Native American languages and tribes have been lost. It breaks my heart, and we are subtley doing it every day as we push out indigenous cultural practices in many countries, even our own, and replace them with "Wal-Mart Savings" and Mc-culture.
What we don't kill, we indoctrinate.
We genetically modify food and give it to starving third world countires, saying that it will provide all their nutrition, as if this act weren't making a population now dependant upon us for their very lives;
Danish ornithologists have discovered that birds are now mimicking cell phones;
Companies are growing plants with human genes embedded in them to "grow" medicine;
and STILL, 17% of all African American men in 2001 have served time in jail.
The tracks are twisted, and we have to stop this train.
posted by Dead Mouse Girl at 11:55 AM
0 comments
links to this post
