Messages from the fifth dimension

Recently, US Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton handed over management of grey wolf populations in Idaho to the state of Idaho. This is the same state whose legislature just a few years ago passed a resolution to eliminate grey wolves "by any means necessary."

While I firmly support each state's right to govern itself however it likes in the social and political arenas, wolf management goes beyond society or politics and into the arena of survival of all species on earth. Giving management of wolves to the state of Idaho is like giving management of Jewish populations to the Nazis. Just as the Nazis before them, the state of Idaho has vowed to destroy what they perceive as a nuisance. In neither case does the group involved have any such right to do so. It would be naive of me to say that the Nazi problem has been solved, but at least good people are aware of the problem and are opposed to neo-Nazis. However, the state of Idaho not only remains recalcitrant about protecting wolves, but has now been given carte blanche to do as it pleases in regard to the wolves. The fox now guards the henhouse indeed.

If you think this action of Gale Norton's was ill-considered, you can at least send a letter of censure to Norton at this Web site.

Posted by Marina at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I feel strongly that everyone has the right to do whatever they wish as long as they are not harming others and as long as they accept full responsibility for their actions while doing whatever it is they want to do. That includes the right to take whatever drugs they wish to take, fry their brain however they wish, ruin their health however they like—SO LONG AS THEY DON'T HARM OTHERS.

Unfortunately, too many drug users don't give a rat's whisker about others. They work and drive while under the influence, for example, causing accidents, making mistakes at work, and so on, costing others a great deal in terms of time wasted re-doing badly done tasks, paying for medical bills, and other related costs. It may be a lost cause to try to appeal to drug users to be more responsible, but I keep trying.

My latest effort is to point out that the drugs you take—which includes the illicit drugs you are taking, yes, but also birth control pills, over the counter drugs, doctor-prescribed hormones and other drugs, even the caffiene from your coffee—all end up being excreted from your body and going into the environment. See Science News for one of many, many articles on this problem.

So before you pop that next pill, please take a moment to reflect on the fact that everything is related. You may think it is none of anybody's business what drugs you take, but unless you don't excrete, you are affecting the environment, and therefore it is everybody's business. We all thank you for refraining.

Some more links:

1. "Pharmaceutical drugs given to people and to domestic animals --including antibiotics, hormones, strong pain killers, tranquilizers, and chemotherapy chemicals given to cancer patients --are being measured in surface water, in groundwater, and in drinking water at the tap. Large quantities of drugs are excreted by humans and domestic animals, and are distributed into the environment by flushing toilets and by spreading manure and sewage sludge onto and into soil. German scientists report that anywhere from 30 to 60 drugs can be measured in a typical water sample..."
2. Pharmaceuticals In Our Water Supplies
3. "Drugs As Toxic Waste"

Posted by Marina at 07:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In case you haven't discovered it before, I have a page on things you can do to help the environment.

Posted by Marina at 01:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)