by Pat Tigges’
EAT First!
Perhaps the biggest crime of the environmental movement has been to focus America’s attention on overblown, often false, local issues, causing people to miss or ignore the world view.
The simple fact is that if we don’t grow it, mine it, log it (fill in the blank) here, someone else, somewhere will make up the difference and the trade isn’t equal. We do it better! Whether it be stopping soil erosion, replanting for sustainable yield, species protection, mining reclamation, water efficiency (again, you fill in the blank), we might not be perfect, but we’re a damned sight better than anyone else. And, if NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) green groups want any rainforest, tropical birds-bugs-bees, elephants or rhinos (fill in the blank again) left they’d better start encouraging natural resource production right here at home instead of exporting it out of sight. Only rich people (schools, hospitals, roads, abundant food, etc.) have the energy, resources and spare time to worry about “saving the planet”.
My wish for all of America’s misinformed school children is that, just for one day, they could live as people do in those countries to which we export resource production. Hungry people don’t worship wolves and tigers, they eat them. Cold people don’t “save” rainforest and wetlands for their grandchildren; they burn trees for fuel and farming, and drain swamps so their children don’t die of malaria or cholera.
The true poor on this planet don’t have fewer babies so they can save the earth. They have more children so they can have more hands to strip the veldt, burn the forest, carry the water, and work the fields.
Like it or not, resource production (food, fiber, timber, oil, coal, metals, etc.) will continue and all the wailing and teeth-gnashing of rich ‘greens’ will not change that fact. Hypocrites who preach “we must do with less” from their ivory towers replete with cell phones, computers, SUV’s, and (another blank to fill in), make me sick. Developed countries will not go backwards . And, more importantly, poor countries will not stoically remain on the short end of the stick. They want what we have and they won’t care about the the environment until they get it. America didn’t care about the environment until she could afford to care.
Pat Tigges is president of the Pacific Northwest Aerial Applicator’s Education Foundation (PNWAAEF)
Reprint permission given by AgAir Update, P.O. Box 850, Perry, GA 31069 - an international agricultural aviation publication.
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