Endangered Species

Warning: I'm up on my soapbox again. 

Okay here's where I get political. I really should have reversed these last two posts. Because by the time you finish reading this you'll be mad enough that you'll need the previous post just for cleansing. At least I hope you'll be angry. I certainly am. 

The Bush Administration, which has been a joke so far, has decided to leave us with one final parting shot. As if this administration couldn't get any worse, they drop this on us. The Endangered Species Act has been changed. The current ruling requires that government scientists do an independent review of all building, mining, or logging projects to see how much they will affect the wildlife species in the area. The current administration has changed that so that these independent reviews are no longer required. Instead the builder and the company building can do a review. 

Really, the company that wants to build a business will do their own review of the environmental impact? Now I work close enough to those type of businesses to know that this is a joke. These companies won't do any review or if they do they'll just say that everything is okay. The bottom line is the only thing that matters for these companies. In Iowa we have over 400 streams and rivers that are on the state's impaired waters list. And those are the ones that the government reviews. Can you imagine how many there would be if no one was watching? 

If you haven't figured it out I'm a huge supporter of animal rights. I choose not to eat meat for a number of reasons (mostly taste) but also because of the way animals are treated before being turned into food. I am appalled at the constant sprawl of our cities as they push animals out further and further. And the ones that end up in the city, are considered pests. Now many of these species have lost one of the few protections they had. 

Ask a coal power plant whether they pollute. I've seen the ads for clean coal. There is simply no such thing. But they will say they don't. Ask the factory hog farm if they are good for the environment. They'll say yes. Then look around at the lists of acceptable contaminants that we list for our water, air, land.... And be afraid. 

Obama has already said that he will overturn this ruling. And I hope that this happens. If not it will be a poor future for the next generation. Diversity is the life force of this planet. Unless we start protecting it, there will be nothing left.