More Misanthropy From Environmentalists

Many people seem to hold a benign view of environmentalism -- that if it helps keep our air and drinking water clean, then it's a good thing.

But to me, that's a short sighted view. As I see it, environmentalists want to sacrifice the well being and quality of life of humans for the sake of nature, which, in their view, has the right to exist for its own sake, unconditionally.

Via Yahoo News

SAN DIEGO — On the southwestern-most tip of the country, just across the border from Tijuana, rugged canyons drop down to a rich Pacific estuary, where millions have been spent restoring fresh and saltwater marshes that sustain the California brown pelican and other rare birds and plants.

But this landscape also represents a gaping hole in the nation's defenses against terrorists, drug traffickers and other criminals, federal officials say.

The Bush administration proposes closing off this final 3.5-mile stretch of border between the United States and Mexico by moving massive amounts of dirt from nearby mesas into canyons to create a long earthen berm. On the berm, parallel to the existing border fence, a second fence and a patrol road would be constructed.

But opponents argue that if Congress pushed through the border proposal as planned, it would be authorizing a landfill project that would cause tremendous erosion in the ecologically fragile Tijuana River Valley area. That could threaten endangered species such as the San Diego fairy shrimp, California gnatcatcher and the light-footed clapper rail.

So pelicans, rare birds and shrimps take precedence over the safety of American citizens in the middle of a war on terror? Personally I can't understand anyone equating the well being of a Pelican or a shrimp with that of a human being. But then again, I'm not an enlightened liberal, just a selfish conservative.

Making this landfill is a step in the right direction. But a lot more needs to be done. Also, there has been plenty of debate about placing the military on the U.S. /Mexico border. And while I don't think it's a bad idea, it's not a permanent solution either.

Just now, I remember watching an interview with the former head of Israeli airline El Al's security. This man said that their screeners were never nationalized. Instead, they were employed by private companies operating under government guidelines.

But getting back to the porous U.S/Mexico border, I just wonder if the job could be done better by private companies operating under governmental guidelines. Think of the business opportunities that would become available.

Zelda

Cross posted at The Urban Grind

posted by Ace at 04:41 PM

| Access Comments