As an Ocean lover..and an environmental activist..

[shewolf4]

The United States spent over 14 years developing a treaty with over 150 nations to establish the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This treaty is designed to help the world manage our oceans and prevent a "race to the bottom" in which we all battle for increasing shares of ocean resources, ultimately destroying them for everyone.

Our Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, however, claims that the U.S. Senate is simply too busy to bring the treaty to the floor to vote and ratify it. In fact, the Senate appears to have been too busy for TEN YEARS.

So, despite major U.S. involvement in developing the treaty, our own oceans and fish stocks are now threatened by our inability to sign it. Other nations who might agree to protective measures for the oceans feel that if the United States doesn't sign, then they aren't obligated either. Until then, they are happy to continue to exploit our seas.


The problem is that our oceans cannot wait. New, extremely comprehensive studies have recently surfaced demonstrating that our oceans are collapsing at an alarming rate. If we don't act quickly, we might lose our chance to ever rescue them.

So, here's the funny part of the story:
I spent a little time looking at the Senate agenda for June 1, 2004, just to see what sorts of things were more important than bringing this treaty to the floor. There were a number of resolutions and bills put forth that seemed important to me, but I was also pretty surprised.

Question: Do you know what DID make it to the Senate floor on June 1, 2004?

Answer: Senate Resolution 368: A resolution commending the University of Virginia Cavaliers women's lacrosse team for winning the 2004 NCAA Division I women's lacrosse National Championship; considered and agreed to.

I'm all for women's sports, but let me ask you: Do you think it's funny?

[JohnRN]

I don't know about the funny part or not, but weather some people like it or not (besides the usual short-cut of name calling 'cry baby greens'), I do know that we need conservation. And I don't know if it's alarmist to say so, but the continual run of declining catches of fish and clam and crab suerly is going to spout of something big someday. The food for one animal disappears and it sets of a chain reaction. Small case studies can easily be studied in Oz, with the introduction (of all things) rabbits for game. Or the intorduction of Australian Acacia's in the Deccan Plateau in India leading to a water crisis for the area now (It's a water intensive plant. It's not a native to the area either).

Tree hugging is an art. It isn't a bad thing in it's enterity. There's nothing wrong with learning to live with nature. It calls for everyones benefit.