Ecological problems include toxic wastes dumped on the land, into the water and pumped into the air, declines in wild bird, fish, and animal populations, and a loss of wilderness lands. The cause of these problems is human overpopulation and greed.

Can a rich person eat more food? Well, only a little more without getting sick. Can he eat better food, then? Well, it is "better" only in that he thinks it is. He can have a bigger house, but he can only live in one room at a time. He can have more things, but is it isn't necessarily "better" to have more things. He can be more powerful, but it does him no real good.

The cure for these problems is education and self-restraint.

Humans--A Part of Nature

Humans are a part of nature, not apart from it. Cities are as natural as ant hills or bee hives or bear dens. The false dichotomy of man versus nature is the spawn of hubris, thinking ourselves superior to everything else around us. Not that that is going to change.

Humans are going to use the power they have to get what they want. They have even invented a large number of religions that justify it. So environmentalists, if they want to be successful at all, have to show in a realistic fashion how the policies they recommend benefit humans.

Humans aren't about to save the whales, just to save the whales. Oh, maybe, for a little while they would. But when the real interests of humans are pitted against some other consideration, like preserving the wilderness, it is the interests of humans that will prevail. The case must be made in terms of what is best for humans, or there is no chance of persuading them to a course of action that will be maintained.

Bug Rights?

The folks who are fighting for animal rights don't seem to be concerned about the slaughter of mosquitoes. Insect rights should not be ignored. Then too, there are vegetable rights. Those plants are living things. Of course, one supposes it all has to stop somewhere.

PETA should work to persuade the lions and tigers not to eat meat. If they can do that, they have a chance to persuade humans to do the same. Eating meat, among other foods, is our natural inclination. Nor is there anything wrong with our wearing leather or furs. We do use humans in medical research and it is OK to use animals as well.

Where they have the right idea is how we should go about raising and slaughtering animals. There is no excuse for inflicting pain or misery that can be avoided, even though it may raise the cost of the product somewhat. Legislation to prevent unnecessary suffering is appropriate, as is the funding of research directed toward improving the lot of the animals we use.

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