--- In Robb Nichols <>
wrote, citing his friend in his cups:
<The planet will recover in a blink of cosmic time" >
Robb, your friend is sadly mistaken and his "astuteness" reflects a
profound and cavalier ignorance of the dynamics governing the changes
we have wrought on the Earth. Lessons from Hawaii: As species
diversity is irrecoverably lost (through extinction of the most
specialized creatures first), the species that will thrive are those
most adaptable, i.e., are immune to most diseases, etc.--imagine an
Earth populated mainly by rats, pigs, cockroaches, goats, Starlings,
House Sparrows, and so on--many nature recordists have first-hand
experience of this very breath-taking dismaying progression. Nothing
moves me more than the reality of it.
Aloha,
David
>
> Bernie Krause wrote:
> >
> > As Bill McKibben once said: "We often choose to love nature to
death."
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > On Nov 10, 2008, at 9:48 AM, Robert Heckendorn wrote:
> >
> > > I would like to give an example of endangered local habitat and
make a
> > > prediction that I think is relevant to this group and the wild
places
> > > we enjoy. The area around Fort Collins, Colorado is exploding in
> > > population. Huge additions are being built. The recreation in
the
> > > area is wonderful (I lived there for 12 years). One of the gems
is
> > > the Poudre River Canyon. It is about 50 miles of wonderful
rural and
> > > scenic riparian area. The people of Fort Collins love their
river.
> > >
> > > Now for my prediction. even though people love the outdoors and
love
> > > their river, when population pressures force the need for more
water
> > > and people have to give up all their lawns and cleaning things
and the
> > > public pool and when it gets down to just crops and drinking
water
> > > they will dam the Poudre river and you can kiss the Poudre River
> > > canyon goodbye. No one is asking now if there is a problem with
> > > uncontrolled population growth, they will just take the natural
places
> > > because they have to survive *that day* when it is too late. In
a
> > > choice between your children's survival and nature, nature
loses. The
> > > way to avoid that decision is to consider population today not
how we
> > > accommodate the population when it is too late.
> > >
> > > I don't mean this to sound so negative but like high explosives,
> > > exponential growth needs to be handled with great care and we
can't
> > > just say "Things will work out". Not that anyone has in this
very
> > > nature sensitive group. I just feel compelled by Walt's remarks
to
> > > express my feelings about this seldom mentioned threat to
nature.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
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