I consider myself an environmentalist, but lately I’ve felt more and more sceptical about the whole movement (or rather, whole series of movements). In our fervor to make sure the environment is protected, are we throwing money at the problem without any rhyme or reason? Sometimes it looks that way…

After six years of regulations and restrictions that have cost builders, local governments and landowners an estimated $100 million, new research suggests the “threatened” Preble’s mouse in fact never existed. It instead seems to be genetically identical to the Bear Lodge meadow jumping mouse, which is considered common enough not to need protection.

The new research could lead to removal from Endangered Species Act protection. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to decide in December.
. . .
The research by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science has opened a new volume of questions including what to do about landowners who have been affected, whether the Bear Lodge mouse also needs protection and whether the Endangered Species Act itself needs changes.

Of course examples like this fuel most anti-environmentalist arguments for decriminalization deregulation. At the same time, could there have been a more productive way to spend that $100 million? (Yeah, I know it wasn’t just one lump sum or anything, but it would be nice to have a little prioritization here.)

And speaking of environmentalists, those loony assholes at the Earth Liberation Front are at it again. Apparently they’re going to be protesting the fact that one of their members got a really harsh jail sentence for setting some SUV’s on fire. A little word of advice fellas : if you’re gonna break the law so you can turn around and act like a martyr, don’t get all whiny when the judge gives you a harsher sentence than the one you were asking for. Seriously, it makes you look like crybabies.