Denise,
There is nothing silly about being emotional about animals, but offering
arguments against banding on the basis of a regard for animals on the
same plane as that for humans would muddy the waters considerably. I have
hitherto not offered any arguments of my own, mostly on the grounds that I
know very little about the subject. However, as a physicist, I would say
that research is important, and helps in protecting birds (Has someone got
any statistics for comparing rates of extinction before and after serious
study of birds began? I am willing to bet that, all other factors being
considered, the banding of birds has contributed significantly to slowing
the rate of extinction). Understanding the movements of birds is a
significant step towards directing conservation efforts, and the
monitoring of population also helps in effective management of resources.
Someone a while back (Michael Scammel, I think) compared lepidoptery to
bullfights. Such kind of emotional arguments work against the person
offering them, because the disinterested listener will then see that the
person offering the argument has committed himself far too much to the
side he is taking to do justice to the other side. In the past, people
used to shoot birds for studying them. It is thus, I believe, that Darwin
got his finches. By modern standards, this is considered cruel, but thanks
to our superior understanding of the natural world that this practise
afforded us, we have a better understanding of how to go about
preservation. In the future, no doubt, there will be better and more
humane methods of conducting research, but to be better prepared for then,
and to stop the large number of extinctions, we must continually study the
birds, and banding affords one of the best methods of doing so.
Kiran
On Sat, 12 Jan 2002, Goodfellow wrote:
> Kiran
> Next time I see my Kunwinjku son cry over a dead water python, his
> dreaming animal, I'll remember your comments to Tracey, and tell him not
> to be so silly over what to non-Aboriginal people is just a non-humanl.
>
> Denise
>
>
> Denise Goodfellow (Lawungkurr Maralngurra)
> 08 89818492
>
> www.denisegoodfellow.com
>
> Birding-Aus is on the Web at
> www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
> "unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
> to
>
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kiran Krishna
3rd yr physics
(Falkiner High Energy Physics)
University of Sydney
NSW 2006
--------------------------------------------
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest
political end.
- Lord Acton
Both liberty abd property are precarious, unless the posessors have sense
and spirit enough to defend them.
- Junius (Philip Francis Jr)
http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/hienergy
http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~kiran
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