Environmentalists - Should I Hate Them?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Dan King,

Out of curiosity, how would Charles Mann know what existed prior to 1492 in North America ?

What indian writings was he privaleged to ?

[Craig Sweet]

Indian history tends to be an "oral" tradition...stories are passed along from generation.

[Jim_Kennedy]

..........along with anthropology and archaeology

[Patrick_Mucci]

When land can't be developed because it isn't a current habitat, but, MAY be the potential habitat of the barred owl, where is the concern for the potential habitat for human beings ?

Wouldn't you agree that human beings have shown an incredible ability—through technology and ingenuity—to adapt to almost any environment?

Sure, but at what cost.

With recent legislation declaring enormous sections of the state off limit to new construction, the cost of available lands will escalate dramatically, resulting in anything but low cost housing.[/color]

Some less developed species—perhaps even your barred owl—can only survive in a very limited habitat. Don't we have some obligation, assuming it doesn't cause undue hardship, to protect that fragile species—even if it means we can't build yet another golf course?

That's not true.
Nature and its creatures have shown a wonderful ability to adapt, to migrate to new habitats, and plenty remain.
But, to declare land that might be a "potential habitat" as off limits is absurd, especially in urban or suburban areas.

Could New York City be built today ?[/color]

To quote a line from Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility."

It's the government that possesses the power.

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

Mike,

If you can float a popsicle stick in it, you're subject to regulation when it comes to waterways.

Where do you find golf course sites in close proximity to the populations that would access them that are void of waterways ?

What are the names of the new golf courses being constructed that don't have any environmental issues ?

[paul cowley]

Dan ...have you by any chance read a recent book titled '1424 the year the Chinese discovered America'?

Its most interesting and makes alot of plausible and factually based assumptions about a period of discovery pre-dating the European epoch, and there are parts that I am sure dovetail well with the 1491 book which I will now seek out.....oh, and I don't like ardent environmentals [don't want to be OT]