Ravenwood - 07/09/04 04:00 PM
Enviroweenies are a bitter lot. Apparently they were all upset about the University of Arizona building an astronomical observatory on Mount Graham, home to some wee little bushy tailed rat. They lost in court, the observatory was built any way, and the world didn't end like they had predicted.
But now the observatory is threatened by wildfire, and some environmentalists seem to be hoping for the worst.
Environmentalists waged numerous lawsuits in an attempt to stop construction of a University of Arizona observatory on Mount Graham, contending the project would kill off the squirrels. The lawsuits held up the project for two years, but the mountaintop observatory finally opened in 1993. [Ed. note, more than ten years later the squirrels are still there]It's one thing to oppose someone politically. It's altogether different to hope something bad happens to them. The lightning caused wildfire is something of a non sequitur. That is, the green weenies weren't telling them not to build there out of concern for their safety. They were worried about some pesky little tree rat, that is apparently so weak it cannot survive any place else. Now both the university and the rats are threatened by fire, and the environmentalists only reaction is one of schadenfreude.Now the lightning-caused wildfires threaten the $200 million observatory as well.
"Over and over and over, the university astronomers were asked to please not build this facility in a volatile, fragile forest system," said Dr. Robin Silver, a physician and environmentalist who fought the project. "Those of us who warned them, who begged them and who pleaded with them are not going to feel sympathetic to whatever fate they might suffer."
test
Posted by: Ravenwood at July 10, 2004 10:32 AMI can have no respect whatever for these clowns. A man of principle would at least get out there with the volunteers if only to try and save the squirrels, but all these twats can do is whine.
Posted by: robert in england at July 10, 2004 10:49 AMI remember this time someone moved next door to me I didn't like, I couldn't get them to leave. Luckily their house just happened to burn down.
But it is ok, I told them to leave didn't I?
Posted by: DaveJ at July 10, 2004 12:38 PMActually, in addition to the LBT (Large Binocular Telescope) there is a smaller telescope owned and operated by the Vatican and a radiotelescope on the same grounds. It's not like there was no presence atop Mt. Graham when the LBT was proposed. I've actually done some work in the LBT building (the telescope itself is still being assembled inside the structure.)
The funny thing is, the population of the Mt. Graham Red Squirrel has apparently increased since they've started keeping track.
The evironmentalists weren't trying to protect a species. They were trying to stop any kind of construction whatsoever. As someone said, they've gone from NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) to BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything.)
Mt. Graham had already suffered a fire near the peak where the telescopes are located. The authorities were denied permission to clear the dead trees, so that fuel is just sitting there, dried and prepped, waiting to fuel a new fire.
Environmentalists are not pro-environment, they're anti-people.
Posted by: Kevin Baker at July 10, 2004 1:00 PMif they were SO concerned about the stupid rodentia, why aren't they up there fighting the fires to save them???
And I notice that there's no comment "oh, those poor squirrels." Just "We told them not to build there, now we're happy their building is going to burn down!! HA-HAA!"
I agree with Kevin... they're just anti-everything.
Posted by: Jim S at July 13, 2004 2:37 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
