Conservatives and Endangered Species

Now, I'll admit I'll occasionally hear about some species of . . . whatever, but anyway it'll be peculiar to some small area and holding up some form of development because, well, liberals like me tend to be alarmed about killing an entire species of anything. So, do we protect the buffalo? Sure. The tiger? Yes. Whales? Mos def.

But a moth? A moth that can be found, say, only within a five acre expanse in Napa county and would be wholly eradicated by a proposed vineyard? It's a hypothetical, but we hear about these smallish species with powerful friends quite often.

So how do we liberals decide what to do?

Well, here's how current conservatives decide: Kill. Death to the species. Hunt it, competitively, to extinction. The last guy to eat a meal of the animal's flank or make a dollar off its hide or as a result of its extinction wins!

Okay, so maybe that's not as representative of conservative thought as it used to be (and it sure as hell used to be . . . and it might be again if the Tea Party wackos get enough power to eliminate the EPA). Today, conservatives say we should kill the small, localized species that get in the way of the development of whatever cookie cutter mediocrity planned for the day. These conservatives don't value diversity much in their effort to make America look the same wherever you go.

But how DO conservatives really decide to deal with these species? Do they cite Evolution? Yes, only if they can argue that the species in question is not fit enough to survive the "evolution" of the ecosystem in question.

However, conservatives hate Evolution, or at least a scientific view of it, preferring Biblical Literalism/Fundamentalism instead.

This, of course, brings us to Noah and his Ark. God commanded Noah to take two of every species, right? So did Noah take two of some of those species peculiar to the continent that Noah's contemporaries couldn't even imagine? Or did he just take two of every animal as he understood the word "animal"? If the latter, wouldn't God object to Noah's having overlooked some species?

God: Dude . . . where's the buffalo?

Noah: Buff-a-what?

God: Dude, it's on the other continent. Dude, y donde el Snail Darter?

Noah: WTF?!!? You're just NOW telling me there's a whole 'nother continent?!!?


Yes, yes, conservatives believe that we have Dominion over God's creatures and we can do with them as we see fit. But does that mean we can off a species? I just don't see the conservative god happy with that.

God: You eliminated my Speckled Daisy Moth so that you could build another Costco? You are SO going to Hell.


But, to be fair, what about the original question: How do liberals deal with small, localized species? Right now, I believe that just such a species is threatened by the development of a "sun farm" in the desert somewhere. A renewable energy entrepreneur wants to set up big solar panels somewhere, but . . . . So how do we liberals decide which of our oxen to gore? I'm not sure, but, yes, it will require several studies and it may be comically burdensome. But I don't think the answer is to kill the EPA and any species that happens to cross our paths.