killing butterflies for fun???

[Paul Cherubini]

John Himmelman wrote:

> is it really necessary to point out that there is a difference
> in most people's minds between unavoidable
> collisions with insects whilst driving and actively collecting? 

Unavoidable?  I find these anti-collector, anti-butterfly release activists
are routinely driving around in big gas guzzling, 
2 & 1/2 ton Vans, Sport-utes on their way to work or their
acitivist meetings, slaughtering orders of magnitude more
insects than if they were driving 3 or 4 cylinder compact cars
mini-trucks or compact station wagons.

20 - 30 years ago conservationists had fairly modest paying government
jobs and drove around in little 4 cylinder imports.  Now after voting
themselves 10-15% annual pay raises they can afford and are buying
big Vans and Sport-utes and see nothing wrong with attaching
"restore the environment" or "no drilling oil in ANWR" bumper stickers
to their big vehicles.  Like just few days ago I saw this 
"restore Hetch Hetchy" (a valley in Yosemite) bumber sticker on a 
14 miles per gallon Nissan Pathfinder sports-ute:
http://membersites.nwbombers.com/dalkena/hetch.jpg

So yeah I think lep collectors and butterfly breeders / releasers such
as myself that drive around unfashionably small 4 cylinder vehicles 
or Mark Walker who drives a 3 cylinder Geo Metro might justifiably
be miffed at the hypocrisy of the NABA style do-gooders who try and 
make a big deal of the impact our activities have on wild 
butterfly populations.

Paul Cherubini

 
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