I am not a baby owl and I don't appreciate living ankle deep in s**t the way they do. Clean house, everyone, whatever your reasons, clean house!
Baby owls don't like it either. Some jump out of the nest before their flight feathers have grown in
I'm glad that the environment is a major concern for many people, but unfortunately, hysteria fills pockets and does not necessarily result in a superior way of doing things. Just look at the Spotted Owl. Thousands in the timber industry lost their jobs over the spotted owl, but guess what? The spotted owl was never truly in danger of extinction. I heartily agree that the timber industry needed to modify its practices in order to protect habitat and especially soils. However, the spotted owl legislation was a knee-jerk reaction to a perceived threat to a little-known species. Those rarely make scientific sense and are rarely scientifically-supported, but they sure do make people feel good. They end up tilting at windmills because they do not know what is really happening, or what should really be done.
I do not know Gore's true viewpoint, why he made this movie, or whether he is an angel or a devil. I do know that frightening people about environmental issues often ends up with people searching for fast and easy solutions, like 'don't cut trees'. That leaves so many variables out of the equation that resulting opinion and policy are flawed and misguided. His lack of personal knowledge on environmental science is a huge red flag. Someone who does not understand the fundamental scientific issues would have to be extremely objective to present a relevant opinion. Who knows what he/she did to the data, how it was skewed, how it was collected, and what it truly means? Scientific procedure exists for a reason, and when a non-scientist presents potentially significant data, it behooves the recipient to be very critical. We also cannot expect Gore to be able to present a factual and comprehensive viewpoint as a non-scientist when even the scientists themselves don't fully understand what's going on.
I'm writing this because my schooling and profession are in the thick of environmental controversy, and I face ignorance and hysteria on a regular basis. I see what these things do to people and to the environment that they are meant to protect. I also see the physical effects of rash and ignorant policy-making, and it's sickening. Research the Meagram fire and the Angora fire, the conditions leading up to those events, and what happened after they occurred. Read about what happened to Arrowhead National Forest and Big Bear, and what's happening all up and down the Sierra Nevada mountain range. I can recommend books and documentaries that would make you sick because of the duplicity and shocked like you've had a bucket of ice water thrown in your face.
Gore and his intentions amount to less than a beer fart in a whirlwind. I care about my world, and I hate to see unsound theories elevated to the level of gospel truth. It hurts us all. Forget Gore and focus on really knowing what's going on and acting wisely.
