Scratchings-and-Sniffings

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Thinking Like a Mountain in Today's World Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:41 AM PDT If Aldo Leopold taught us one thing it was to think of the natural world and all the plants and animals in it as being connected in some way. As we discussed last time, he taught us to think like a mountain. As a society we have become so detached from the natural world that it is difficult for many of us to see these connections. Yet, the things we do every day have consequences for our shared environment. No one thing, with the possible exception of "the bomb," can do us in overnight, but when we put many actions together over time the cumulative effect can be devastating. Why, as animal lovers, should we care? Because at some point, if we do nothing to change our ways, our own existence and our ability to care for our pets, ourselves and our children will be threatened. Maybe not in our lifetime or even that of our children, but do we want to leave a dry, dying planet as the legacy for our grandchildren?  A case in point from today's headlines. What do Grizzly Bears, Clark's Nutcrackers, Whitebark Pine trees and the Pine Bark Beetle all have in common? Three things. They all exist in the same ecosystem. They depend to a certain extent on each other for food and survival and finally, all four are seriously threatened by the effects of global warming. In a healthy ecosystem, Pine Bark Beetles are only trouble for diseased or dying trees. Their activities are limited by the seasons as in normal years winter temperatures are cold enough to kill most before the next spring. In the west, over the last couple of decades winter temperatures have been above normal with few winters getting cold enough to kill off the beetles in most areas.   The summers have, on average, been dryer, too. There have been more forest fires and the fires have been much larger than historical averages. Drought and fire weaken a tree's ability to fight off pests and make them more vulnerable to damage and death from Pine Bark Beetle infestation. Warmer temperatures allow Pine Bark Beetles to expand their range to higher altitudes and latitudes threatening new species like the Whitebark Pine.   Grizzly Bears and Clark's Nutcrackers depend on the seeds in Whitebark Pine cones for food. These seeds are high in fat and protein and make up a significant portion of the diet of both species. Clark's Nutcrackers hoard these seeds and stash them in winter cache's across their range. In so doing, they help disperse the seeds and the uneaten seeds germinate and produce new trees.    Grizzly Bears were taken off the endangered species list just a couple of years ago in the area around Yellowstone Park. There are upwards of 600 bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem that encompasses parts of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Today a federal judge told the US Fish and Wildlife Service to go back to the drawing board on the Grizzly. In his opinion he stated that their own research indicated that the bear was still in jeopardy and that they had not paid close enough attention to that research in de-listing the bear in 2007.   What did that research demonstrate?   It showed that due to climate change the entire population of Whitebark Pine in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem was threatened with precipitous declines due to the spread of Pine Bark Beetles. No Whitebark Pine would severely alter the landscape and remove a key food source for birds like the Clark's Nutcracker and a keystone species like the Grizzly Bear. Thanks to global warming we now have two species going on the endangered list instead of one coming off.   Why should extinction matter to us? Besides the fact that we love animals, we should care because of our own self interest. If the world is becoming uninhabitable for more and more plants and animals, how long before if becomes unsuitable for us? The old Canary in the coal mine analogy is right on topic these days.   We are about to debate cap and trade legislation to control and limit the greenhouse gases largely responsible for global warming. The usual suspects are lining up against these proposals. They say it would cost too much and be too much of a burden on our economic growth despite reliable predictions that state otherwise. They fear higher taxes on fuel as a way of changing behavior. My sense is that the cost of doing nothing is far greater than the cost of action now.    The opponents of cap and trade are not thinking about the health and welfare of our children and grandchildren. They are not thinking long term. They are not thinking like a mountain.

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