Utilitarianist vs Preservationist

CNN.com - Mouse may jump off endangered list - Jan 28, 2005


The Preble's meadow jumping mouse.

"Environmentalist groups called Interior's decision a political one."

Hell yeah of course! Tracing back the history of environmental movements and the role of science in policy making in the united states, this reeks of manipulated science in the act of trying to get more land for the "Fish and Wildlife Service".

The fish and wildlife service, like the forestry department, claims to be environmentalists who simply want to preserve the land for further human exploitation, be it at a sustainable growth or what not.

1) This study was PAID funded by the fish and wildlife services
2) The mouse has been in their way to developing the area.
3) From "endangered" to "common" overnight!

True, science has been known to screw up but one cannot help but feel that this is a political stint. Sounds just like bush trying to open up the alaska reserve for oil drilling. Bah!


Colorado Front Range - home of the mouse.

"Builders, landowners and local governments have spent as much as $100 million by some estimates protecting the Preble's meadow jumping mouse since it was added to the federal list in 1998 as a species whose survival was considered "threatened."

On the other hand, if it really is a "common critter", think of how embarrassed these big macho developers are going to feel and even if its not really all that common, they'd just go way out to kill them all. It has always been a fight between the cost of being sustainable and conservation. But still, I am sure it hasn't done that all that much harm to take into consideration the environment around them, than not.

Just because there is another species some way away, does not mean that it is really all that common in the world. Of course, unless it's as much of a nuisance as crows, then oh lord, imagine the shame.