tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041439548485901461.post1763738999709727990..comments2023-08-29T13:10:14.015-07:00Comments on South of the Sahara: To Buy or Not to Buy?kbdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07229271119432146593noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041439548485901461.post-22049415823078527102008-12-15T06:05:00.000-08:002008-12-15T06:05:00.000-08:00Terry thank you for your thoughtful response. I ag...Terry thank you for your thoughtful response. I agree with a lot of what you've said... I am aware of the elephant's family and social aspect, and of course it saddens and appalls me that we would have to take measures that we do. Do you see how an oversized population of elephant could be hurting other species? I wonder if you've lived in a place like South Africa before, where the balance between human and animal is really at the forefront, because there are so many people who struggling.<BR/><BR/>I think I may go back and re-assess my PETA viewpoint. I didn't think about being able to be the "dissenting voice"...kbdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07229271119432146593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041439548485901461.post-56609274004187811132008-12-14T17:19:00.000-08:002008-12-14T17:19:00.000-08:00This was a thought-provoking entry. Before I comme...This was a thought-provoking entry. Before I comment, I should note that I am a member of PETA and a vegan, so I tend to skew fairly heavily towards animal rights. So I'm a bit biased. However, there are many, many people who see animals as being placed here solely for the pleasure and consumption of humans, which I personally see as an "extremist" point of view. For that reason, among others, I think the politics espoused by groups like PETA are absolutely essential, if for nothing else than to maintain a kind of ethical balance in our collective society. <BR/><BR/>As for ecological balance, my personal belief is not so much that we are stewards, but rather a wayward species that has evolved itself into a brand new niche in the planetary ecosystem. Our goal should be reconciling our particular needs and survival with the needs and survival of the rest of the species that share our planet and resources. Presently, we are a species out of balance by any definition. We've invaded every corner of the planet--well beyond our original habitat--decimating ecosystems as we go, become dangerously over-populated, strained the sustainability of many of the earth's resources to their limits, and may have created a global environmental crisis that affects species world-wide. To put it shortly, we've pushed over more than our fair share of trees and shrubs. If the standards being applied to these herds were applied to humans, we'd be the first candidates for culling. No compassionate human being would suggest this, of course. We try to devise creative solutions that are mindful of human rights to manage our population's needs and distribute resources. Granted, we are not always successful and have many serious issues to address in handling poverty and overpopulation around the world, but this is our goal. So why can't we deliver a compassionate alternative to culling--surely the elephant population boom is a significantly smaller problem to tackle than human population? There <I>are</I> other alternatives; and it is debatable to how much a problem the elephant population actually is and certainly whether it needs to be addressed with such extreme measures. Beyond that, elephants are remarkably intelligent and emotionally sophisticated creatures with strong family bonds. The violent death of a member of the herd (particularly by methods historically employed by culling) is as traumatic to the herd and to the young as it is to humans. The psychological repercussions of culling are far-reaching and profund. Aside from the great apes (several species of which we are also destroying) elephants may be among our closest intellectual kindred on this planet. <BR/><BR/>I hope you'll reconsider your position on PETA. They do an enormous amount of good in the world for the animals so often neglected in our focus on humanity's betterment. Their campaigns are well researched and thought out. You may not agree 100% with their positions, but you may find that the larger good they do outweighs the points you may disagree with. As a vocal member of the organization, dissenting points of view may even help shape their policies. I'd also highly recommend "The World Without Us." It is an incredibly humbling book about humanity's integral place in the ecosystem, as well as how well the planet could and has stewarded itself without us. (Sorry for the long-winded comment).Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03200830707196584934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041439548485901461.post-470165420386503732008-12-04T06:46:00.000-08:002008-12-04T06:46:00.000-08:00I for one am very excited to be getting the cushio...I for one am very excited to be getting the cushion. Admittedly I am a little less eco-conscious than you are, I do feel that it is very important to use products that are sustainable and harvested in a responsible way. Plus I think this will look very good in our lounge.Ljhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03732719625820440831noreply@blogger.com