h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I can't remember if I saw it on a bumpersticker or what, but I saw a slogan that wonderfully stated " the Whales, Save the Humans". Now I immediately assumed the person sporting that logo was probably a conservative who wonders whether spotted owl tastes like chicken or not. But then I also started thinking about the ramifications of that slogan. Well, skip the part about " the whales" but "Save the Humans" is probably exactly the right attitude on all environmental issues when followed to it's full logic. (not something I think a lot of "tree huggin' hippies" or ultra-conservatives either have). If the human race is LOGICALLY and FAR THINKINGLY selfish, they will protect the environment. It's short term selfishness that is destroying this world. I have no problem with cutting down trees, just a problem with cutting down old growth forests. I have no problem with commercial fishing, just a problem with commercial OVER fishing. The Earth is fairly resilient if it's given a chance. When industry takes the attitude not of what will profit us for the coming decade, but what will profit us for the coming century, the industry will protect it's resources. If we treat the environment with the only concern that it support our next generations we will also be protecting it for all those cute and fuzzy bunnies and snail darters out there as well. To paraphrase Gordon Gecko, "Greed, on a long term scale, is Good."


Count Zero, putting away the soapbox now.