07/06/2004 Entry: ""
Posted by Maynard @ 11:01 AM MST
Why I vote the way I do - Environment
The environment is not burning down, going away, evaporating, melting, or having any other such calamity befall it. There is neither reason nor data to suggest so, and the fear of such things should not influence governmental decisions. The story of Mt. Graham and the Large Binocular Telescope illustrates the disconnect between environmentalists and reality perfectly.
Mt. Graham was chosen by the U of A Steward Observatory for its ideal situation vis a vis astronomy: high altitude and clear skies 92% of the year. Plans were put in place and groundwork was laid for a large - two 8-meter mirrors - telescope to be placed at the top of the mountain.
Then the environmentalists struck.
Mt. Graham is the only home of the Mt. Graham Red Squirrel. This rare fuzzy is on the Endangered Species List. When Steward Observatory started building on the mountain the environmental lobby cried foul and sued, citing the Endangered Species Act gave protection to the squirrel and lawfully restricted the telescope construction.
Too bad for them, though, the squirrel population actually increased while construction was continuing.
The site itself takes up a meager 8 acres, a miniscule amount compared to the rest of the mountain. Environmentalists claimed that the construction would destroy the only habitat for the squirrel. They were wrong.
But because of the cry and hue over the squirrel, the observatory was forced to minimize the number of trees it cut down and the brush it cleared away. The result was, when combined with a multi-year drought, a potential disaster.
What happened? Mt. Graham burned.
As I write this the fires are less than a mile from the facility, but the threat has subsided. That's not the problem, though. The problem is that the law has restricted the observatory from creating a safer environment on top of the mountain - safer for both the squirrels and the people. By not clearing out dead vegetation an excess of fuel has collected. All it took was one spark - from God, granted, but one spark nonetheless - and untold numbers of squirrels have died because their environment was not made safer by humans.
The ESA has led directly to this situation in numerous western states, causing millions of burned acres. But even if the ESA had not been in effect, the attitude of the environmentalists still exists. The belief that man is an intruder in nature, instead of a participant, causes poor policy. They advocate the restriction of man's actions, even if it provides a net benefit to the environment. If a man-made fire causes 1000 burned acres and 20 dead deer it is worse than a lightning started fire that burns 5000 acres and kills 100 deer. Why? Because man is evil and does bad things to the environment. True, man is evil. But worshipping the environment at the expense of benefitting all is evil as well.
The problem, summarized, is this: environmentalism starts from a flawed perspective, which creates flawed theories. These theories are pushed into law, and the flaws are exposed when stuff happens, to the detriment of both the environment, animals, and mankind. If you have no regard for truth, especially truth in science, then spare society from suffering from bad laws created from bad science.
I vote Republican because they ignore the bad science of environmentalism. I do not vote Democrat because they give lip service, and occasional voting service, to environmentalism. As regards the Green party - I view them as communists, not worth my time or vote.
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