Extinction vs accuracy

[Ron Gatrelle]

Hi Patrick (and all on the party line)
    To not be misunderstood. Let me put it this way. We now have a new
administration for the next four if not eight years here in the US. The
nominee for Interior (if I am correct) is said to be for the repeal of the
Endangered Species Act. The pecking order has changed and "those people"
don't need our help. The use of proper terms and accurate data is
essential. Where these have not been employed accurately or over stated it
will now come back to bite us.
    Just as one nominee is now out because of a minor infraction (or
perhaps only a wrong, but well intentioned act) protested and magnified out
of proportion by one side - it should be expected that the other side will
try to throw one Act out for minor infractions (or perhaps overboard but
well intended implementations). Politics and religion are brutal. You don't
taunt the opponent. You don't give them ammunition and then put a target on
your back. It only riles them up more, and they will (as now) eventually
have their turn. And as we say here in the Red-Neck south, the payback is
on its way.
    My religious convictions prevent me from voting. But if I did I would
have voted for Bush. However, there are several of his policies I do not
support. I just agreed much less with Gore. Further, just because I think
the Endangered Species Act is unconstitutional it does not mean I want to
see it go - I like what it does. Just because someone is white and lives in
South Carolina and even supports flying the Confederate flag over the state
capital does not mean they are racist. I am a white transplanted Yankee who
supports the Stars and Bars over the state house and my daughter's
boyfriend is black -with my approval! It is way to easy in a forum like
this to read way too much into what kind of person (bucket) any given
e-drop spilt out of.
 
----- Original Message -----
From: "Patrick Foley" <patfoley at csus.edu>
To: "Ron Gatrelle" <gatrelle at tils-ttr.org>
Cc: "Leps-l" <Leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2001 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: Extinction vs accuracy
 
 
> Ron and others,
>
> Let me reiterate that the term "extinct" is used by scientists studying
> extinction for both local extinction and global extinction of a species.
I
> didn't decide this. Environmental activists didn't decide this. It was
decided
> by a consensus of the scientific community. It was not a perfect choice,
but it
> will not change because it annoys the wise use movement.
>
> Patrick Foley
> patfoley at csus.edu
>
> Ron Gatrelle wrote:
>
> > Someone (I have already deleted the massage) used the word _weight_ in
> > conjunction with what term is best for locally missing taxa.  The truth
is
> > that activists (on any front) are very adept at yelling fire in the
> > theater. Activists are looking for action. Thus, they choose words with
the
> > proper weight to stir sentiment and motivate events in their direction.
> >
> > Any way one cuts it, extinct means gone to never return again. Atala
was
> > never extinct in Florida. Celastrina ebenina was a seldom seen form
until
> > it was realized that it was a species and what its habitat is. Now it's
> > known as a somewhat widespread species. N. mitchellii pops are now
known to
> > occur in Mississippi and Alabama and will quite possibly turn out to
have
> > numerous colonies is the seldom visited, snake infested, southern
swamps.
> >
> > Accuracy is what needs to be communicated. If something is extinct then
use
> > that term. If locally absent then just say that. If a status is unknown
but
> > probably whatever then say that. It is fine to warn of fire in the
theater
> > if there is one. But if not, when there really is one nobody will pay
much
> > heed. We who are on the side of the environment have used words like
> > extinct, crisis, immanent, so often that Joe Public (whose support we
must
> > have) is beginning to just see us as using chronic over, or mis,
statement.
> > If actives what to continue to use terms with  more _weight_ then be
> > advised that is no where to go in ones terminology but down. Or, will
we
> > become like the magician of Princess Bride and say, well, they were
only
> > mostly dead, now they are fully dead - extinct. They were only mostly
on
> > the verge now they are really or fully or completely on the verge.
> >
> > The Red Wolf was once extirpated from South Carolina. Now it has been
> > reintroduced -  because that taxon has never been extinct.
> >
> > Ron
> >
> >
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>
 
 
 
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