Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK, now I know most of you here may not agree with everything some of us non-Yankee's have to say , but...

This story is on the front page of one of our papers today, and it is shocking. I am sure one of the major conservation groups will set up some sort of petition, but if you know of any other ways this can be stopped, please try!

As I have said before my major gripe with the US government is it's treatment of the environment, and this is a prime example. The effects of such a plan will be devastating. I cannot believe that lessons have not been learnt from the catastrophic effects of such pipelines elsewhere in the Amazon, especially in Ecuador. I am talking about the effects on the forest itself, the ecosystem as a whole, and the people that live there.

This CANNOT be allowed to happen!

Anyway, it's early morning now and I've been up all night radio-tracking hedgehogs, so I need some sleep! So I'll leave this one here.
THE STORY

At last, you've revealed why you have criticized Bush and the US regarding Iraq. At last, it is clear why you had no solutions to offer, nor did you have any reasonable arguments to offer in the entire debate. You've attacked the US (Bush) about the war in Iraq BECAUSE OF YOUR DISLIKE OF THE US TREATMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT. This explains your blind venom, and your inability to defend yourself when pressed for lack of justification for your ridiculous comments about the war.

Regarding the way the US treats the environment, where does your self-righteous indignation come from? You probably flew to South America in an airplane so that you could perform your self-important and , no doubt, critical research on Hedge Hogs. Have you calculated the adverse impact of the pollution dumped into the environment by YOUR flight? Or do you consider yourself exempt from such criticism? I've seen the flame you've created on the Boa forum, and your disdain for the human race is obvious. Your self-interest in chasing little Hedge Hogs around in South America couldn't possibly take a back seat to your "concern" for the environment, could it?

You've also expressed your disdain for Americans who drive SUV's, being the self-rightous Brit who drives a much smaller car. Why stop there Mr. Environment, when you could be driving nothing at all? There are people who do not own a car. What would they think of you and your dirty little habit of polluting the environment with your car? Maybe THEY have derogatory comments to make about the human race when the ponder how guys like you contribute to environmental pollution.

You've already made a fool of yourself in your war flame, attacking the US on it's treatment of the environment isn't going to rehabilitate your image in any way. Especially when you are such a colossal hypocrite.

Snake Feller

As the son of an oil man, I am in perhaps a good place to discuss the US gov'ts enviromental policies--Dad deals with them for a living. And to be honest, the man's right--espically about Bush, who seems to want Haliburton to get everything (short list bidding sucks). The policies are usually short sighted, both enviromentally and economically. A prime example is the ESA--what we really need is an Endangered Habitats Act, as Dr. Ripa points out in his article Deranged Science. However, that would be politically unpopular, as it would demand actual protection for land en mas instead of little pockets here and there.

Another great example is Bush's push for drilling everywhere, regardless of cost-effectivness (the Artic thing wasn't a good idea economically; it's also a seperate post), or enviromental impact, instead of pushing for technolgies (i.e. ceramic engines, which Japan has made practical), that are available and would help. Then there's his push to lower air and water standards, which I'm adamantly opposed to.
There's a host of problems, some massive, with how we deal with the enviroment. That said, I'm not too keen on it when Europe rips on us; we at least still have and try to help preserve, an enviroment, whereas most of Western Europe has no substantail tracts of wilderness left. We've got national parks bigger than some European countries.
I've no idea about the boa forum, or herpconsultant's reputation, and don't really care, to be honest. But attacking the person instead of the idea doesn't do much. It just makes people get defensive, as witnessed in the last several threads.

BTW, hedgehogs are in Africa and Europe, IIRC.

Paul
-----
Cornsnakes and kingsnakes and gophers oh my!

Cheers Paul, I'm sure that came better coming from you. It's funny how if you express an opinion here, you transform into the devil, with 'blind venom' and a 'disdain for the human race!'

People who know nothing about you, assume so many things. Even when you try to correct them, you get called a hipocrite. I have never expressed an anti-US opinion. I have disagreed with some of the decisions made recently by Bush / Blair, but then surely that is allowed. Freedom of speech seems to be confused here with freedom of thought.

I have been amazed by the lack of concern about the destruction for the environment here. OK, it will happen, but we can drop some profits and make them more 'green' friendly. In my life I try to recycle as much as possible, use the car (less than a litre engine - 957cc) only when absolutely necessary, etc. etc. I'm not quite sure if I'm supposed to canoe to South America, because apparently I shouldn't fly there!

I think what I'm trying to say is a reiteration of a previous post. And that post concerned extremists. And I'm not talking about Al-Queda here! I'm talking about a group of people that do not have an objective outlook on life. They agree only with what there leader does or says. They attack anyone that disagrees with their point of view. Something's funny here! And it is these people / mentality that has led to so much ill feeling around the world. But I'm not supposed to say that. In fact, I shouldn't talk at all. Hmmmmmmmm. Again, something's funny here!

Anyway Paul, you always seem to respond with intelligent comments, and your knowledge of hedgehog distribution made me laugh! Cheers!

Why oh why do SOME of you Americans get soo defensive about anything, Ive noticed that you will protect your country even if you dissagree with some things, I use to live in san diego and liked it alot, but I got criticised everyday for being British and because we lost certain wars in the past with certain people.

ALL THE TIME

Britian says its WITH the USA and with that said then us Brits are at fault too. I know its not just the USA that makes these decisions and I think we are all a bit beyond helping. we have to live here and just deal with it. BUT i must say it is all about money and power in the end.

Bye the way I am beyond deffending any country, even the one that I am from, I have lived in many countries and find there to be many things that we all do the same, and many mistakes are the same mistakes.

steve.AC