10-03-2024, 06:13 AM
The handling of this incident is both shocking and criminal. There were so many things done improperly, almost clandestinely...for so many reasons other than in the public interest.
I'm really torn on issues like this. On the one hand, things like this want to make me take a absolute enviro-centrist posture. On the other hand, I also recognize how absolutely disruptive such a posture can be in the carrying on of our daily lives (most don't realize just how disruptive). Somewhere in between a balance must get struck. However, in this particular case (and many others), government bureaucrats should be the very last people to strike this balance! They rarely strike any 'balance' at all, and often only settle on the ground which suits their personal agendas and personal wealth the best. The same can be said for corporate interests. Unfortunately though, the common people are not necessarily well enough informed to make such decisions either.
We hear the words "common sense" used for all sorts of legislation (I need not cite specifics). Sadly, common sense isn't very common these days. In fact, common sense is pretty rare indeed; probably about as rare as hens teeth anymore.
In my perfect utopian world we would find an objective group of reasonably educated and rounded common citizens, with the key word being "objective", so serve on a policy making body for environmental issues. These persons would be completely free of political agenda, ideology and preconceived notions. Pure fantasy, I know, but one can wish. Candidly, this is what our elected legislative bodies are 'supposed' to be, but alas they are far from it.
I was reading a very interesting book lately about the initial efforts to perform the boundary surveys which make up this nation. Fascinating book, which goes into subjects such as standardization of weights and measures in astounding detail. One of the interesting sidelines in the book was the dilemma of getting people interested in settling the vast expanses of North America. Once the land had been surveyed and subdivided another problem became apparent; the exploitation of resources in given areas was having detrimental effect. This amounts to one of the very first environmental movements in the Americas, and it led to, among other things, the establishment of the first National Parks and later things like the Bureau of Land Management (and associated federal land). Though these measures were relatively successful in their time, in the two centuries since then environmental issues have become far more complex.
Back in the 1800's we had level-headed leaders who were smart enough to take stock of the problems objectively, and take the time to come up with "common sense" solutions which fit the times. I'm not sure how we get back to those same 'level-headed' leaders, or to 'common sense' measures, in today's world, but it's clear to me we need to try.
Just some thoughts.
I'm really torn on issues like this. On the one hand, things like this want to make me take a absolute enviro-centrist posture. On the other hand, I also recognize how absolutely disruptive such a posture can be in the carrying on of our daily lives (most don't realize just how disruptive). Somewhere in between a balance must get struck. However, in this particular case (and many others), government bureaucrats should be the very last people to strike this balance! They rarely strike any 'balance' at all, and often only settle on the ground which suits their personal agendas and personal wealth the best. The same can be said for corporate interests. Unfortunately though, the common people are not necessarily well enough informed to make such decisions either.
We hear the words "common sense" used for all sorts of legislation (I need not cite specifics). Sadly, common sense isn't very common these days. In fact, common sense is pretty rare indeed; probably about as rare as hens teeth anymore.
In my perfect utopian world we would find an objective group of reasonably educated and rounded common citizens, with the key word being "objective", so serve on a policy making body for environmental issues. These persons would be completely free of political agenda, ideology and preconceived notions. Pure fantasy, I know, but one can wish. Candidly, this is what our elected legislative bodies are 'supposed' to be, but alas they are far from it.
I was reading a very interesting book lately about the initial efforts to perform the boundary surveys which make up this nation. Fascinating book, which goes into subjects such as standardization of weights and measures in astounding detail. One of the interesting sidelines in the book was the dilemma of getting people interested in settling the vast expanses of North America. Once the land had been surveyed and subdivided another problem became apparent; the exploitation of resources in given areas was having detrimental effect. This amounts to one of the very first environmental movements in the Americas, and it led to, among other things, the establishment of the first National Parks and later things like the Bureau of Land Management (and associated federal land). Though these measures were relatively successful in their time, in the two centuries since then environmental issues have become far more complex.
Back in the 1800's we had level-headed leaders who were smart enough to take stock of the problems objectively, and take the time to come up with "common sense" solutions which fit the times. I'm not sure how we get back to those same 'level-headed' leaders, or to 'common sense' measures, in today's world, but it's clear to me we need to try.
Just some thoughts.
