Re: Life Duty Death
Bryant (mycol1@unm.edu)
11 Sep 1995 19:34:10 -0600
>>>The bottom line is that our rivers are dying, our oceans are as well.
>>
>>No they are not. Lying is not going to help you.
Current water quality data (available from EPA, at your local govt'
depository library) indicates that this person is not far off, and
certainly isn't "lying."
>Yes... They are...
[...]
>>Bullshit. There is a small problem with some fish problem. A
>>standard tragedy of the commons situation. Sell the fish and
>>the problem will be solved. We have more than enough food, an
Um, this last statement is a sad display of ignorance. Since I do fish
ecology research, I feel that I should answer it.
There is a serious problem with declines in freshwater fish species.
The problem has little to do with "too little fishing" for market.
The corporations which dump toxins into our rivers (I cite the middle and
lower Rio Grande as an example) have much more clout than the
recreational fishing industry does. Not all fisheries are economically
important, but all are indicators of water quality, which directly or
indirectly affects human health. [EPA announced last month that nearly
40% of the USA's lakes and streams are not safe to swim or fish in
because of chemical pollution, mostly mercury pollution.]
Water clearly constitutes a valuble national resource, yet
Congress recently took away EPA's pollution law enforcement abilities,
you'll recall. That, perhaps, is an example of the efficiency of purely
"market" solutions to conservation problems. It really comes down to
trusting industry to *not* behave in its own self-interest.
Bryant
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