Sharks, the Environment and Me

stateofmind

stateofmind

seeker of lies
Valued Senior Member
"scalloped hammerhead and tiger sharks may have declined by more than 97 percent; bull, dusky, and smooth hammerhead sharks by more than 99 percent."

"Ecologists have long predicted that the demise of top predators could trigger destructive consequences."

"Maintaining the populations of top predators is critical for sustaining healthy oceanic ecosystems"

"the real challenge will be to move beyond retrospective analyses and instead prevent ecosystem-wide changes from happening in the first place."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070329145922.htm

Each and every one of us was able to be born and live because of the conditions provided by this hunk of dirt we call Earth. If this perfect equilibrium did not exist, we would not exist. This is a fact.

I am not suicidal. I am not against a person's right to commit suicide but I will not allow them to kill me as well.

I propose this:

If there is reason beyond doubt that certain actions will have destructive consequences to the same mother that gave birth to us all, it is an infringement on my right to life and that person should be punished accordingly.
 
Ecosystems change. It's that fact which gave birth to our species.
 
stateofmind said:
I am not suicidal. I am not against a person's right to commit suicide but I will not allow them to kill me as well.

I propose this:

If there is reason beyond doubt that certain actions will have destructive consequences to the same mother that gave birth to us all, it is an infringement on my right to life and that person should be punished accordingly.
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If someone were actually going to do something so catastrophic to the environment that it seriously threatened human life on earth, then sure, I would agree. But global warming, deforestation, or driving species to extinction doesn't reach that level. Don't get me wrong, those are all bad things, but I don't think they're going to kill off humanity.
 
Nasor said:
But global warming, deforestation, or driving species to extinction doesn't reach that level.
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I disagree. What real extinction or deforestation have we really experienced first hand? The dodo bird?

Sharks have been around for longer than the dinosaurs - they're clearly a very robust link in the ecosystem. Of certain species their populations have dwindled by more than 90%. And all this is fueled by superstition.

I think this will have catastrophic effects (and so do a number of biologists), but oh well, who gives a shit right? I say these fisherman are running themselves and the rest of humanity off a cliff. It's not fair to me and I think it should be illegal - and that's from a completely selfish point of view. It's a totally different debate to argue if it's ethical for the sharks.
 
Well then you have to punish all the people in China and other parts of Asia that like shark fin soup or create a shark who's fins grow back.
 
spidergoat said:
Well then you have to punish all the people in China and other parts of Asia that like shark fin soup or create a shark who's fins grow back.
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I know, it's a huge problem. I don't know what the practical solution would be...
 
there is reason beyond doubt that certain actions will have destructive consequences to the same mother that gave birth to us all, it is an infringement on my right to life and that person should be punished accordingly.
Click to expand...

Do you live in a house? If so the materials that made it are from the Earth so you are at fault for buying things that others make in order for your own survival. The wood, metal and plastic you use also show your own destructiveness toward the planet. If you eat food , the animals you eat are also being depleted so you again are destructive just on a smaller scale than those who actually do the fishing, tree cutting and mining of the Earth. What are you going to do yourself to punish yourself for doing such things?
 
cosmictraveler said:
Do you live in a house? If so the materials that made it are from the Earth so you are at fault for buying things that others make in order for your own survival. The wood, metal and plastic you use also show your own destructiveness toward the planet. If you eat food , the animals you eat are also being depleted so you again are destructive just on a smaller scale than those who actually do the fishing, tree cutting and mining of the Earth. What are you going to do yourself to punish yourself for doing such things?
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Yah, I'm not selfless. I eat meat when it's convenient and I live in a house and I drive a car. You're ignoring the fact that shark fins are COMPLETELY an unnecessary luxury no matter how you look at it. There's a good chance this could be catastrophic to the planet.

I suggest to anyone who has an interest in this to watch the documentary "Sharkwater." It's not some half-assed documentary bore either. Check it out!
 
stateofmind said:
Yah, I'm not selfless. I eat meat when it's convenient and I live in a house and I drive a car. You're ignoring the fact that shark fins are COMPLETELY an unnecessary luxury no matter how you look at it.
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Cars are unnecessary as you well know as is a house. People do live in tents, huts or adobes made of only Earthen material located where the home is built. While I agree with your premise my question was what are you going to do to punish yourself for your own destructive behavior to planet Earth? You want to punish others that eat shark fins but neglect those who contaminate the air, soil and water with wastes, pollutants and filth that YOU created by buying everything that you want.
 
stateofmind said:
I think this will have catastrophic effects (and so do a number of biologists), but oh well, who gives a shit right? I say these fisherman are running themselves and the rest of humanity off a cliff.
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Oh? Please provide some references on biologists who think that this seriously threatens human survival. I certainly agree that it's bad for the ecosystem, but I'm not aware of any reason to suspect that it's going to endanger humanity.
 
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