[at-l] Re: The Government and The Environment

[rafeb@adelphia.net (rafeb@adelphia.net)]

On 21 Feb 2002 at 16:04, Jim and/or Ginny Owen wrote:

> And your point is??  The forestry practices of a century ago generally have 
> little or nothing to do with what's done today.  Using that as an example is 
> like comparing Civil War surgery to today's neurosurgery.  It's not a valid 
> analogy.  If you want to see land that's been "raped" go to Haiti - and it 
> wasn't "big business" or the lumber companies that did it.



Far from me to suggest that gummint or big business are the 
only entities capable of despoiling natural resources.  The 
case of the Adirondacks was brought up as an example of 
government doing good things (which conservatives consider 
to be rare, if not impossible.)

Millions of square acres of the earth that are now desert weren't 
always that way, but became desert due to overgrazing by 
sheep and goat herds.  No governments involved, just 
entire populations of nomadic tribes.

Still, when lumber companies are hell-bent on getting at the last 
remaining old growth trees (in the Olympic peninusula, for 
example) you have to wonder what, if anything, we've learned 
over the years.

George W. Bush apparently savors the noise and smoke of 
thousands of snowmobiles in Yellowstone Nat'l. Park.  Hey, 
who wouldn't?


rafe b
aka terrapin