My column on Earth Day generated a strong response from Patric
Kelly, one that was so strong and so far off the mark that it
deserves a response.
My column on Earth Day generated a strong response from Patric Kelly, one that was so strong and so far off the mark that it deserves a response. The main thrust of Mr. Kelly’s remarks was that environmentalists are so intent on doing good that they ignore all of the harm that might ensue. I guess that he thinks environmentalists are willing to consider this collateral damage. In that he would be so very wrong.
Let me put some of Mr. Kelly’s points in true perspective. One of Kelly’s critiques is that the EPA has reduced the water pumped to Central Valley farms in order to save the endangered Delta smelt and he blames that for a 40 percent unemployment rate in areas like Mendota. That is far from being true.
In December, 2009 the Business Forecasting Center at Pacific University released Employment Impacts of Reduced Water Supplies to San Joaquin Valley Agriculture. That study concluded: “Of particular importance is that only about 2,000 of the lost jobs are attributed to Delta Smelt restrictions.” While 2,000 jobs is a significant, it does not account for the 40 percent unemployment claimed by Mr. Kelly. In fact Mendota has a generally high unemployment number, being more than 20 percent in the year before the drought and before the recession effectively closed down new building construction.
Now that we have had a high rainfall year, the pumps are working again and, so far, have this month managed to kill 4.4 million splittails and more than 3,600 salmon in one week I guess that Mr. Kelly is willing to preserve the farmland for rich Westlands Water District farmers at the expense of those who depend on the salmon for a living.
Let us then address the question of EPA regulation of carbon dioxide as a pollutant. While his argument that plants need carbon dioxide is valid, it is also scientifically true that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is one of, and probably the most important factor, that governs the retention of heat within the Earth’s atmosphere. The greenhouse effect has been known and measured for so many years that it is undeniable.
We are already experiencing the effects of climate change; not here in Morgan Hill as much as in other parts of this country and the world. Along with increase temperatures, comes increased evaporation; the water in the atmosphere falls back to earth. Some areas, such as Pakistan, Northern Australia and Columbia experienced record levels of flooding. Other areas have severe droughts accompanied by wildfires this year. The scientists advising the EPA have predicted this and it is happening now. Would Mr. Kelly have us just wait for matters to get worse?
Finally, Kelly concludes that I “hate capitalism.” This seems to be the standard right-wing approach. If anyone believes that government has a role to play in making the world a better place to live, then either they are labeled as a “socialist” or accused of hating capitalism.
After a lot of thought, I have concluded that he and I have a very different view of human nature. He must believe that people are universally good. I tend to believe that there are so many people who are willing to step beyond the boundaries of rational behavior as to ensure the ongoing need for governmental regulation. Even such an Ayn Rand acolyte as retired Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan had to concede that he never considered that so many corporate executives would act according to their own short-term economic benefit that they would risk their own jobs, the future of their company and the entire world economy just for the sake of a larger bonus. We are still living through the effects of that mistake.
No, I don’t hate capitalism. In fact, I have used this column to support local business, to encourage the development of community based economics that would limit our risk from such perversions as the mortgage market meltdown. But I also understand enough of science to know that the idea of perpetual economic growth is a classic Ponzi scheme such as Bernie Maddow could only hope to dream of.
Our politicians continue to express the desire for continued growth and to create fiscal policies that require this growth to pay our existing debts. This is true from the federal level down to our own local city government. This creates a fixed demand for money while we, the people, have a variable ability to pay.
This planet has a finite amount of resources along with an increasing population. As our economy grows, the per capita resource use also grows. As the world-wide population increases, then the effect is only magnified and the time will come when we all have to pay the bill. Perhaps that time has come.
Wes Rolley is a Morgan Hill artist and concerned citizen. He is co-chairman of the EcoAction Committee, Green Party.
