Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Stealth War Emerges

IT TAKES TIME
No Superficial Reads
our earth is complex
NOT IN THE HEADLINES
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.. Just as a trophic cascade takes a considerable amount of time in both plant and animal communities; so too does the environmental repercussion of societal and political decisions.
.. Most folks believe that if there is no immediate effect from political behavior there will not be any at all. Our society is rooted in instant gratification and, this mentality permeates a wide spectrum of belief.
.. The introduction of the wolves into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 is still being felt today. Hunters and ranchers bemoaned the immediate result of fewer elk and their predatory behavior on domestic livestock.
.. The cascade effect is ongoing with the resurgence of beavers, willows, and aspen trees. There are both 'immediate' and long term results. This will continue for some time to come.
.. The supporters of our current administration say that the sky has not fallen given the 'immediate' results of political decisions and rule making. Therefore, (they say,) it's not as bad as they were led to believe.
.. Of course not. Those folks have no concept of the intertwined nature of our planet's ecosystems. If it hasn't happened this week  -- THEN it probably won't happen. Yippee Shit: we can ignore the decisions and behaviors of the administration.
.. It does take a certain semblance of intelligence, education, and concern for the future state of our environment to appreciate a trophic cascade or a political cascade.
.. Be you a Fisher or, a Hunter or, a Tree Hugger you are under siege by a stealth war. If you are an industrialist, real estate developer, energy company, or extractive tycoon; you have been given your dream of instant gratification.
.. American business defines long term planning as results for the third quarter. A political cascade takes longer to manifest itself. Woe be us come the third decade. [[ As an aside; there is even some lend/lease debt from WWII still outstanding.]]
.. Fixing, (should we choose to,) will be a monumental task. It will be beyond the resources of any single nation: especially our nation with a giant debt.
.. Commercial fishers have some idea of the impacts of over fishing and the length of time it lasts and the time it takes to partially recover.
.. However sport fishers enjoy the non indigenous species that proliferate all across our nation. "Hey, y'all, lookee here at the big fish!" The impacts of the trophic cascade in this arena are ignored by most sport fishers. Just catch 'em while on vacation.
.. We, here,  are in the minority. We have no advertisers to placate. We have no trinkets to sell. We have no giant ego or cute phraseology to bolster this little newsletter.
.. We only have a vested interest in gentle wanderings in the woods and meadows and an occasional fish to catch. We have, over the past 50+ years seen changes that are the result of decisions long gone and applauded.
.. The changes are interrelated and a combination of the environmental, social, political, cultural, and educational milieu that we partake of. Some we like some we don't. They will continue as our society continues our paradigm of short term gratification;  well into the future.
RESOURCES 
>> Short read with headlines,
>> Detail of ongoing stealth attack, (longer - PDF.)
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.. Getting a good dump of the white stuff. It has fair moisture content and is building up nicely. It's warm enough to fish a little and maybe catch some - if we can avoid the sledheads.
.. Some visitors are firmly ensconced in the few soft chairs in the dusty aisles of a couple of feather merchants. Many neighbors are gathered around barrel stoves telling stories. Time enough to shovel some and take a nap.
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