Editor,
I knew our planet was in trouble, but before I received my issue of Science, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science of which I am a member, I did not realize how bad the threats to its existence really are:
- over 200 million pigs in China have African swine fever and have to be destroyed;
- transgender people who had “conversion therapy” were twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who went to simple therapy;
- Trump ended protection of wetlands and streams from pollution;
- billionsof North American birds have vanished due to pesticides and loss of habitat;
- toxic algae “blobs” are threatening the West Coast fisheries;
- mosquitoes that carry Zita and dengue are proliferating;
- oceans are full of plastics;
- honeybee colonies are collapsing;
- global climate change is already dangerous and interfering with the climate;
- Trump’s EPA is destroying all of Obama’s environmental protections.
I know this is overwhelming and we in our sweet little town feel there is little we can do. But, wait!
For example, Roundup, a poison already sanctioned is still being sold in our stores and used by neighbors. The state, county, telephone company, etc., still use herbicides. Eureka could demand complete recycling of all our garbage. We can personally reduce our use of plastics, use no poisons, plant flowers for the bees, and much more. We can always write letters to our “representatives” even if they do not listen.
Nature is our love. Should we abuse her and her animals?
Trella Laughlin