A New Environmental Approach

First, let me say that I totally respect and agree with the goals of environmentalists, and I use the designation "environmentalist" positively, with pleasure and hope, and respect.

I must also point out that some environmental goals and ideals are at odds with the history of evolution, and ecological growth and maturation. Namely, that thousands, if not millions of species have died out over our history, virtually all because of changes in the ecological niche they occupy, losses due to competing species and habitats, natural disasters, and similar, non-humankind caused events.

When Cain and Abel plowed lands, who is to say that what they plowed under didn't include some rare species of plant or tree?

The goal of environmentalists should not necessarily be the preservation of all species, or even "select" species.

It should be a "zero sum" result of man's use of the environment. Maybe snail darters ecological niche had already expired, or was about to expire, maybe Spotted Owls are in the same category.

I wouldn't want to be the judge of who stays and who goes, but I do believe I am at least as qualified to make this decision as are obstructionists who throw reason to the winds in favor of an irrational line in the sand.

Goals I hope for could mean everything from complete restoration of lands due to extractive resources usage, to one hundred percent recycling of man-made garbage and waste products from consumers and manufacturing and commercial processes. Offsets for land development means replacing, or restoring ground covers including foliage to a Zero Sum state, or it's equivalent.

I mourn the loss of a species; I recognize the inevitability of such events in the real world. It is unrealistic to expect that species don't vanish on their own, they are doing so as I write. It is unrealistic to expect cooperation from the human race and it's various society city-states in preserving everything and anything, when such goals seem to and in reality do, prevent the growth of individual welfare in food supplies, and more.

Better to establish 2008 as a Baseline of ecological and environmental status, develop plans and goals to mitigate further damage, as well as restoration of existing damages to original-and here lies a real opportunity-better than original ecological status through well though out planning. Would forest or variegated foliage and grasses be better for reclaimed mining tracts? Would re-manufactured oil shale work better than newly mined cement for road surfaces?

There is much opportunity in a new approach to husbanding our resources, encouraging environmental goals which are reality-based, and economic, as well as societal preservation, rationalization of future goals.

We should adopt a pragmatic viewpoint regarding goals and use of support resources directed at achievable goals, and programs which society can support as helping towards a more realistic future. I want my children and grandchildren to have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, food to eat, and parks and wild lands to enjoy.

Those goals can be achieved with logical attention to pragmatic goals like population management, recycling, restoration, environmental alchemy to transform waste into useable and re-useable products, and more.