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A really good question Richard. I would like to share a personal =
experience about this. I was asked to attend the Earth Summit in 2002 in =
South Africa as part of a delegation of artisanal fishing people, many =
of whom earn about $1 US per day. One of the main themes of the summit =
was the need for wealth alleviation. Given the limited, finite resources =
of the planet, the situation of the poor could not be improved without a =
massive transfer of wealth from the small percentage of people who =
control most of the world=E2=80=99s resources to the large percentage of =
people who have no control over or ability to use those resources. =
Without such a re-balancing, we would see ever increasing deterioration =
and depletion of our natural world as the poor struggled to survive or =
improve their economic situation while the rich tried to increase their =
wealth even further. Of course, this transfer of wealth never occurred =
in the intervening 17 years, at least not to any extent to make a =
significant difference, and we are now experiencing the predicted =
result.
The forces leading to the extinction of animals and plants are the same =
forces leading to the extinction of indigenous cultures around the =
world, to the continued impoverishment of unthinkable numbers of people, =
and to a massive exodus of climate and economic refugees to places where =
they have some chance of survival. It is not surprizing that the =
populist movements we see in different parts of the world today are not =
led by grassroots community organizers but by rich industrialists, =
military generals, or political elites. They make promises to their =
people to improve their economic well-being while their main purpose is =
to stop the refugees, silence the poor, and obstruct efforts to reverse =
climate change, knowing full well that climate improvement would =
necessarily reverse the flow of wealth to them. Unfortunately, this is a =
point of view that is difficult to accept, especially since it places =
most of us on the wealth side of the equation. But also, unfortunately, =
it is the answer that I would give to your friend in Brazil.
John K.
=20
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca <naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> On =
Behalf Of Richard Stern
Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2019 11:02
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Bird Habitats
=20
Preaching to the choir ......... I'm sure everyone in this and similar =
groups already feel as I do, that habitat is vital to migratory birds =
all along their migration route, and that I enjoy birds because they're =
interesting, beautiful, challenging to ID and photograph, are harbingers =
of environmental change, etc. etc., and that enjoying the great outdoors =
is pleasurable to middle class people like myself. So how do you =
justify/ explain their value in these terms to somebody whose livelihood =
and that of their family depends on working in a pulp mill, or an open =
pit mine, in NS, when there are no other jobs around, or engineering a =
condo block on the Gulf Coast, or growing his meagre crop of wild rice =
in Venezuela, etc. etc. - all of which are threats to the migratory =
birds that nest here in NS? I ask this because I recently had a =
conversation with someone who works in Brazil, and is a supporter of the =
new president (who is a worse environmentalist than Trump), but who told =
me that all his co-workers support him because he promises to improve =
their standard of living, and the long term environment somewhere else =
on the planet is not really relevant to their humdrum and poor quality =
daily lives, --- and I couldn't think of any convincing answers. How do =
others address this issue?
=20
Richard
=20
--=20
#################
Richard Stern,=20
Port Williams, NS, Canada
sternrichard@gmail.com <mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com>=20
###################
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style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>A really good =
question Richard. I would like to share a personal experience about =
this. I was asked to attend the Earth Summit in 2002 in South Africa as =
part of a delegation of artisanal fishing people, many of whom earn =
about $1 US per day. One of the main themes of the summit was the need =
for wealth alleviation. Given the limited, finite resources of the =
planet, the situation of the poo