It's not just us living on borrowed time...

[Marc Thorpe]

For those who may have an interest in conservation. Sobering news coming out of Africa where for the last 2yrs scientists have been engaged in what has been dubbed the Great Elephant Count. Absolutely gutted to hear that the news is way worse than expected. In just the last 7yrs some 30% of Savannah Elephants have been wiped from the face of the Earth. What the hell are we doing to this Planet? It's screwed up....

 

[Sabovic Adis]

Whose elephants are those? Or the planet? If the owner isn't complaining...






WTFC!

 

[Marc Thorpe]

Too many gene pools missing deep ends...

 

[George Butterfield]

Intelligent machines will have exterminated the human species in 1,000 years or less. The lessor, 'non threatening' life forms may be allowed to survive. So any species who gets thru the next 1,000 years or less should be free from annihilation by humans.

 

[Ketch Rossi]

It's one of the most unfortunate human faults... Careless for anything but themselves...

 

[Sabovic Adis]

Shut up, God!

 

[Shawn Richman]

Its absolutely devastating. Its amazing how money can control peoples moral values. At this point that only way to stop the killing is to stop the demand. Have to educate that ivory is nothing more then a false status symbol. Nothing more then a big fingernail.

 

[Hugues Dagallier]

Just freaking disgusting.

 

[Daniel Stilling]

If you can, watch "Racing Extinction" It'll make you cry in desperation... Human beings are capable of great things, but it seems like they're more capable of doing horrendous acts over and over again...

 

[Brent Carter]

"We have met the enemy and he is us"

From the first "Earth Day" poster in 1970

Walt Kelly (1913-1973)

 

[Elsie N]

"We have met the enemy and he is us"

From the first "Earth Day" poster in 1970

Walt Kelly (1913-1973)

Wasn't that a Pogo quote from the comic strip originally?

 

[Marc Thorpe]

If you can, watch "Racing Extinction" It'll make you cry in desperation... Human beings are capable of great things, but it seems like they're more capable of doing horrendous acts over and over again...

Indeed, there has to be something said for our self appointed promotion to the top of the pile. I look at all of these issues, and not just where Wildlife is concerned but also human conflict, threats from those who misinterpret ideologies, actions against the environment and so on.

I look at all of this and then look into the innocence that radiates from the smiling eyes of my 4yo son and wonder "What the hell awaits this guy". A message needs to be sent globally, but how and what is going to make people sit up, take notice and react positively that so many good films and media have as yet failed to accomplish?

 

[Brent Carter]

Wasn't that a Pogo quote from the comic strip originally?

Half correct. Kelly wrote the quote and the strip. Poster was first use of that quote, with Pogo the character.

A year later, in a comic strip as Pogo.

 

[Elsie N]

Half correct. Kelly wrote the quote and the strip. Poster was first use of that quote, with Pogo the character.

A year later, in a comic strip as Pogo.

And such a simple, powerful sentence.

There's another thread about AI writing a script. I can't imagine anything other than a human writing something so incisive.

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

They can be saved, but only if we use the laws of economics to do so. Human activity is the problem, and humans are economic beings.

As a university economist, this is something I've been preaching for over 30 years now.

Since I believe there is no way such rational policies will ever be accepted by "environmentalists" (don't get me started!), I hold no hope for the future of elephants, rhinos, or any other of God's amazing species.

Stephen

 

[Phil Holland]

Elephants are beautiful creatures.

 

[Marc Thorpe]

Since I believe there is no way such rational policies will ever be accepted by "environmentalists" (don't get me started!), I hold no hope for the future of elephants, rhinos, or any other of God's amazing species.

'Environmentalists' are the last people to save anything, they pose more of a potential threat through their rose tinted shades than the criminal kingpins IMHO. Everything comes down to money. There has to be a fiscal incentive for the poachers to flip the bird to those seeking to destroy a lucrative commodity.

 

[Elsie N]

They can be saved, but only if we use the laws of economics to do so. Human activity is the problem, and humans are economic beings.

As a university economist, this is something I've been preaching for over 30 years now.

Since I believe there is no way such rational policies will ever be accepted by "environmentalists" (don't get me started!), I hold no hope for the future of elephants, rhinos, or any other of God's amazing species.

Stephen

I'm fully onboard with your thinking. I once wrote the way to save the Whooping Crane was to sell hunting stamps... much like a duck stamp.

Only the crane right to hunt would only be valid once the numbers were out of endangered levels.

I believe the money raised from such an offering would go a long way toward increasing the numbers and that hunters and bird lovers alike would gladly invest in such a long term story.

 

[Elsie N]

'Environmentalists' are the last people to save anything, they pose more of a potential threat through their rose tinted shades than the criminal kingpins IMHO. Everything comes down to money. There has to be a fiscal incentive for the poachers to flip the bird to those seeking to destroy a lucrative commodity.

With exceptions, I agree. Many of them are idealists without a sense of how an animal or eco-system fits in with human life. Humans have been at war with animals over territory since we evolved away from them.

Humans are "winning" the war.

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

Since I believe there is no way such rational policies will ever be accepted by "environmentalists" (don't get me started!), I hold no hope for the future of elephants, rhinos, or any other of God's amazing species.

'Environmentalists' are the last people to save anything, they pose more of a potential threat through their rose tinted shades than the criminal kingpins IMHO.

With exceptions, I agree. Many of them are idealists without a sense of how an animal or eco-system fits in with human life.

Question for you guys.

What is your interpretation of the term "environmentalists" ?