Re: 鈥淪pecies conservation should not include extinction for others,鈥� comment, Oct. 19.
Charlotte Dawe makes a point that should have more influence here in sa国际传媒 Not long ago, some 鈥渆nvironmentalists鈥� reported having killed a dozen golden eagles because they were preying on marmots. Other 鈥渆nvironmentalists鈥� slaughtered dozens of barred owls because they were competing successfully with spotted owls. Did those people really believe they had the right to arbitrate between nature鈥檚 creatures?
Unfortunately, Dawe identifies 鈥渋ndustry鈥� as a villain in conservation matters. Instead of considering faceless 鈥渋ndustry,鈥� we should consider the people involved. We should picture the thousands of miners who produce the metals and cement we need for our buildings, wind turbines and smartphones. We should picture the thousands of foresters and farmers who produce wood for our houses and food for our tables. Industry consists of millions of hard-working people who produce the physical items that we need for our lives.
Dawe correctly condemns the sort of greed that leads to environmental devastation, but she should not blame it on capitalism. Every body of religious thought includes a version of the Golden Rule: 鈥淒o to others what you would have them do to you.鈥� This wise advice was recorded thousands of years before capitalism originated. Greed is a weakness of all people 鈥� not just capitalists.
Does Dawe believe that all species alive today must be preserved? Even if all humans were removed from the planet tomorrow, the barred owl would replace the spotted owl. Nature鈥檚 process is called 鈥渆volution.鈥� We are not able to demand that evolution cease.
David Stocks
Colwood
