Political Philosophies

I’m a biologist, an ecologist, one who cares for the land. I believe in science, depending on who funds it and if there are ulterior motives. I have tried to use what little knowledge I have to try to exert an influence on how land is managed, perhaps to no avail. I believe in biodiversity, in what is best for all things, if that is possible. We want things to be simple, yet our surroundings are anything but. We will never understand what is around us. We apply science to the species that are in danger and leave ecology and the factors that have actually changed the habitat and landscape out of the equation.

I had a division chief tell me that I was: “a rebel without a clue.”  I am only now understanding what that meant. I’ve always been naïve to that which actually controls our world, which includes the habitat of the many species that we should be responsible for. Yet, unless there is money involved, we don’t really care. We are now in a situation that defines that. I truly wish I understood it all, and had answers, but I’m only a scientist who wants what is best for everyone and everything. I won’t talk about the things I know, many scientists, biologists and ecologists are already aware of this. I once posed a question to a professional wildlife group….can we be advocates for wildlife science? I guess the answer was “no.”  So, how best do we request that we manage the land for what is important? I realize that these are questions that will, most likely, not be answered.

At this point, I can only advocate for what I know is right, for us, for the land, for the planet. So many will never see or understand that. Yet….the scientists know! They know what’s coming, they know where we are headed, and they know the ultimate end. Our society is so removed from what is important and necessary that we will never understand what is needed, until it’s too late.

I’ve always thought that “we” want to manage for what is best…..but now, I am realizing that “what is best” depends on who you talk to. The perspectives are entirely different when you compare jobs and progress with what is best for “us.” We tend to cater to the charismatic megafauna that are important, yet outside the realm of what is important for everything. We have lost the ability and have been bought off by those with money to determine what is important and to whom?

Grizzly 399 taught us a lot about many things. We found that we could actually live with a bear that represents everything “wild.” Yet again, our focus was on a single species. Similar to Bison in Lamar Valley. We give up things to save other things, like the riparian species in the same valley. We have catered to the perspectives of many, in particular those who stand to gain somehow financially from the world around us and the world we know.

Answers, really? There aren’t any at this time, unless we redefine the term “progress.” So many years have gone by, and we have lived by this term. It’s all financial. It’s what makes us viable, what gives us a roof over our head and what defines most of us. If we have money, everything else is okay, unless you care about our wildlife. Things change ecologically over time. It’s too slow for us to follow, yet it changes. We are not looking at the same landscape that we witnessed when we were young!

Ever since man laid a hand on nature, we have changed it, be it fire suppression, or livestock grazing. I think we need to ingest that, dwell on it, think about it and finally figure out where we are versus where we want to be.

I am really disappointed in us…..historically we found many paths to figure out and do what is right for many things. We in the U.S. were leaders.  I realize that so many things change over time, yet I will never ever apologize for wanting to manage our planet for what is best, for everything. And now, it has come out big time – what is important to our politicians, to our billionaires. It is not what is best; it’s only what’s best for those who have money.