Sweet Editorial Irony and Eco-Nostalgia
Can I keep him, Mom? Please? I’ll feed him and love him and call him my own.
In the first article, a commentary by Josh Donlan, a plan is proposed for fighting the loss of endagered species: repopulate the American Plains with (among other things) elephants, wild horses, cheetahs, and yes, lions.
The “rewilding” of parts of North America’s heartland could restore some balance to an ecosystem that lost a slew of similar species around 13,000 years ago, according to a commentary in this week’s issue of the journal Nature. Although conceding that “huge cultural obstacles” would have to be surmounted, lead author and Cornell University ecologist Josh Donlan argues that the long-range plan also might help preserve animals in danger of extinction elsewhere.
One must wonder if in the minds of these retro-evolutionists, the phrase “huge cultural obstacles” actually means “people”?
One must admire the work of those who seek to preserve endangered species. That being said, the problem here is the same problem with many environmentalists: a mindset that a world without the infection of humanity is somehow a better world. The idea is that the pre-historic world, or a world without the corruption of modern man, is paradise.
Yes, this could be you...
There goes the neighborhood...
And, oh yeah: the other article about lions? Lion attacks on humans are on the rise in Tanzania.
Comments
#1 2005-08-19 04:35 (Reply)
Maybe my standards are getting too low...but once I saw “13,000 years” the only thought that made its way through my mind was “at least there’s no possible way they’ll be able to blame this on capitalism and white people”.
Actually, if it happened that long ago, it’s really hard to credibly blame it on the activity of any group of human beings...and thus I must wonder how even enviro-lunatics can be pushing to undo it on the grounds of restoring the “natural” balance. Seems to me the natural balance spoke its piece on this issue already.