Dean Wampler wrote:

>2) The biggest mistake made by the environmental movement, in his view, is that
>they did not court the rank-and-file loggers, who were at odds with the timber
>owners. Instead, the industry was able to convince its workers that
>environmentalists are yuppie scum who want to destroy their way of life.
>
>Food for thought, and future, corrective action.

I'm glad you added these comments, Dean, as they must be considered as part
of the equation. I almost followed my last posting with similar comments
about environmentalists not always occupying the moral high ground, in
particular because many of them (us) are just as tunnel-visioned as the
industry barons. It's easy to see how people worried about their jobs
*could* be convinced we're all yuppie scum. "Protect every bird and blade
of grass, to hell with people" is easy to say when you've got the security
(not to mention creature comforts) you need because you bring home a
paycheck every month.

But that's just not the way it's going to be, and I know there must be ways
to avoid the confrontational tone that has pervaded "jobs vs. owls" and
most other such debates, to promote real understanding on both sides of the
problems, and to get down to work on the solutions.

Take a logger birding.

Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416