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Thursday, December 2. 2010The Greens co-opted the Environmental Conservation movementA quote from the good piece I linked this morning, Can environmentalism be saved from itself?
I agree with all that. Furthermore, we non-politically-driven conservation types usually did the work ourselves - without asking governments and powers to do it. We even bought machines to restore filled-in and drained marshes (and even helped to undo Saddam Hussein's destruction of Iraq's vast marshes, which he did to eliminate those too-independent Marsh Arabs who wanted to be left alone). For one example, Ducks Unlimited. Something like 12 million acres of wildlife habitat under protection now in the US, Canada (and some in Mexico), done with private donations. (59 million acres "influenced and conserved" - that includes things like farmlands operated in habitat-compatible ways supervised and assisted by DU). While warmist bureaucrats party in Cancun and try to figure out how to control the world, DU works to raise money and protect habitat from development and degradation every day. Maggie's Farm supports DU.
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When I teach or write environmental history (history with the dirt, trees, fire, et cetera put back in) I point out the difference between conservation and preservation in the "environmental movement." Very broadly speaking, one is interested in "wise use" of resources and the other in keeping certain areas "pristine." Except that unless you are talking about Antarctica or the bottom of the oceans, no place on this planet is "pristine." I am very much a conservationist and am very, very wary of environmentalism. That's what happens when you study paleo-climates, I guess. shrug
Ducks Unlimited is a threat to our country and way of life. If they had their way, our entire fair land would be overrun with quacking, flapping, fish-diving fowl, competing with hard-working Americans for precious water and pescian resources. Would our children and grandchildren be able to play outdoors with their dogs and little friends if swooping, squawking ducks were filling the skies like a swarm of ravenous locust?
Nay, I say, it is possible to be a conservationist and outdoorsman who supports sensible limits on ducks. Unlimited ducks is the path to pestilence, anarchy, and devastation. TxRed ... In other words, what you're saying is that conservation = good; untrammeled preservation = not good, at least not as good as intelligent conservation. At any rate, I too am very wary of environmentalists who tend to think that the world was perfect the way it was the day they were born, and any changes since are 'not good.' Which is dumb, but mostly unconscious on their parts.
As you know, scientists realize that the world is constantly changing, that species go extinct and new ones take their place, and that this is perfectly natural. The only thing in a state of permanent stasis is a dead body, and that is true only as far as the body's original inhabitant is concerned. The body that's left is feeding species that are still alive. In short, many so-called 'environmentalists' are totally unscientifically educated. [Not you, of course.] And it shows. Marianne One problem with environmentalism are its roots in misanthropy and neo-Malthusianism. This can be seen by the movements continual return to these themes. As such I cannot endorse or condone the movement.
Conservatism is fine and proportional but not environmentalism. Mark I've raised this point many times: one of the greatest tragedy of this AGW farce was that it diverted resources that could have been expended on REAL conservation rather than wasted chasing bigfoot. (Actually, I'd give bigfoot a greater chance of being real than AGW).
I've always found Bigfoot ( or Yeti, the abominable Snowman ) to be a rather charming legend... I don't really believe he's real- but I do wonder why, if he's not, he keeps appearing in legends from here to Tibet...
As far as "environmentalism" goes, it's just a shame it got hijacked by intolerant ideologues-- the old ideals of conservation or husbandry are worthwhile- us poor folks down South practice them every day- "use it up, wear it out, and when you're done, make it in to something else..." It has nothing to do with subsidized money wasters like Priuses or windmills... Environmental consciousness became the environmental movement when socialists discovered that claiming concern for the environment, and accusing their opponents of not caring, was an effective strategy for transferring power from individual people to more centralized power holders.
Most environmentalists may be named 'watermelons' with justification; they are Green on the outside, but Red in their hearts. If AGW could not be made to serve as a pretext for expanded government, My Crazy Cousin Al would never have gone for it. Maybe private donations in the US, but here in Canada, it's my tax dollars.
DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Amherst, NS, CA 2010-07-20 $37,000.00 CANARDS ILLIMITES CANADA Québec, QC, CA 2010-01-07 $35,000.00 CANARDS ILLIMITES CANADA Quebec, QC, CA 2010-01-25 $300,000.00 CANARDS ILLIMITES CANADA Québec, QC, CA 2010-03-16 $50,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Stonewall, MB, CA 2010-03-10 $250,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Amherst, NS, CA 2010-03-29 $352,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Stonewall, MB, CA 2010-03-30 $614,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Kingston, ON, CA 2009-11-06 $80,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Kingston, ON, CA 2009-11-06 $80,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Kingston, ON, CA 2009-12-08 $526,200.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Stonewall, MB, CA 2009-12-11 $379,464.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Surrey, BC, CA 2009-11-25 $50,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Stonewall, MB, CA 2009-12-03 $195,000.00 CANARDS ILLIMITES CANADA Québec, QC, CA 2009-07-02 $40,000.00 CANARDS ILLIMITÉS CANADA Quebec, QC, CA 2009-07-02 $25,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Amherst, NS, CA 2009-06-15 $40,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Amherst, NS, CA 2009-05-28 $3,000,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Regina, SK, CA 2009-06-15 $45,000.00 CANARDS ILLIMITES CANADA Québec, QC, CA 2009-02-02 $25,760.00 CANARDS ILLIMITES CANADA Québec, QC, CA 2009-03-27 $99,998.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Amherst, NS, CA 2009-01-05 $176,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Kamloops, BC, CA 2009-01-06 $30,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Edmonton, AB, CA 2009-01-23 $123,444.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Edmonton, AB, CA 2009-01-23 $200,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Surrey, BC, CA 2009-02-12 $50,000.00 DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Kingston, ON, CA 2009-03-24 $263,100.00 That's only back to 2009, and don't get me started about the bloody UN... UNEP (UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME) Nairobi, KE 2009-03-31 $2,400,000.00 UNEP (UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME) Nairobi, KE 2009-03-31 $968,463.00 UNEP (UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME) Nairobi, KE 2009-03-31 $183,000.00 UNEP/CITES SECRETARIAT Switzerland, CH 2009-01-05 $191,639.15 UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Casilla 19006, CL 2009-03-09 $47,882.00 UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE) Geneva, CH 2009-03-16 $50,000.00 UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE SECRETARIAT (UNFCCC) D-53153 Bonn, DE 2009-03-30 $205,402.00 or the World Met folks... WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION Geneva 2, CH 2009-02-20 $30,000.00 WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION Geneva 2, CH 2009-03-11 $50,000.00 WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION Geneva, CH 2009-03-12 $1,829,785.00 WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION Geneva 2, CH 2009-03-31 $50,000.00 WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION New York, US 2009-03-31 $23,650.00 and that's just the tip of the iceberg from Environment Canada, http://www.ec.gc.ca/gc-sc/Index.cfm?lang=en&state=reports Nothing against ducks, but it's not private funds, it's just another enviro drain pipe into the public purse. That's interesting.
I wonder if there is some of that in the US. On the other hand, sometimes a locality will partner with the DU experts to get something done that they already want done, such as marsh rehab. |