U.S. Abandons Endangered Species to Build Border Fence
Sat, Jan 19, 2008
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The government has faced adversity before over its plans in constructing a border fence to combat illegal immigration.
They have bravely persisted in building the fence despite repeated assertions from a variety of sources that it will be massively expensive and completely ineffective. (My personal favorite piece of anti-border fence media comes from Penn & Teller’s: B*llsh$T. They built a fence to the specs the government created, then had several undocumented immigrants try to get through, under, and over it. It took about 5 minutes for 6 people to get through.)
Despite this, they’ve soldiered on and won’t be called quitters. But when it comes to the highly endangered US Jaguar, well finding enough is just too hard so they’re just going to let it die out. The Department of the Interior said that too few of the cats have been found in the US, so therefore there is no point to make a recovery plan.
Quite a few people think the government’s border fence plan and the demise of the jaguar in the US are intertwined. While it only takes a few minutes for a person of normal strength to get past the wall with a few tools, jaguars find the fence impenetrable.
Jaguars extend from South America all the way up into the Southern United States, but their presence in the border region could cause trouble for officials. If the area were designated a protected area for the animals, it would be a massive roadblock to a border fence. Kieran Suckling, the Center for Biological Diversity’s policy director, said: “That’s the central issue here.”
The Center has filed a lawsuit against the US in Phoenix which they hope will end up forcing the US Fish and Wildlife Department to create a recovery plan for the animals. But the department says it’s not a US problem, saying the jaguar’s recovery “depends on conservation efforts in Mexico and Central and South America.”
The department’s belief is that the US population is insignificant to the species’ survival, and that removing the cat from its habitats in the US will not harm the species overall.
It’s great to see that the government has its priorities straight. Wiping out even a small percentage of an endangered species can have disastrous effects one the population as a whole, but that doesn’t matter so long as people from south of the border find it very slightly more difficult to come to America.
Source: National Geographic
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4 Trackbacks For This Post
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CTDL 048: Last pile of links… I think. Says:
January 21st, 2008 at 5:43 pm[...] [From U.S. Abandons Endangered Species to Build Border Fence : Environmental Graffiti - environmental news...] [...]
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Science Etcetera Venusday, 20080122 « ideonexus Says:
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:15 am[...] Sorry Jaguars, but we’re going to have to let you become endangered to keep out illegal immigrants. [...]
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EcoFuss » U.S. Government Sends The Jaguar To Extinction Says:
January 25th, 2008 at 7:41 pm[...] Source [...]
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ryansomma.com » Blog Archive » Science Etcetera Venusday, 20080122 Says:
March 30th, 2008 at 4:41 am[...] Sorry Jaguars, but we’re going to have to let you become endangered to keep out illegal immigrants. [...]
January 19th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
While I would LOVE to see a viable breeding population here in the US, I don’t think USF&WS can reasonably justify spending it’s limited resources on these few cats. Doesn’t sound like a viable population to me either.
It’s my understanding, that only males have been detected in AZ. This comes from both USF&WS and the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project.
Given the limited resources (and support from this administration), I’d rather see them spend time and money on other species, ones that might actually benefit. …Like the Ivory Billed Woodpecker for instance. JMO
January 21st, 2008 at 4:37 am
Fuck jaguars, fuck mexicans, build da wall now.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:56 am
It just sucks that it has come to picking between what species have a better chance.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:56 am
Perhaps it may be too late for these cats, but I think the U.S. is wasting valuable money on this fence. It is ridiculous to think that people will not be able to penetrate this. They should use the money for better things, including saving other endangered species.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:18 am
It’s about time the US Government does something useful
January 21st, 2008 at 7:42 am
While I am sympathetic to the plight of these cats (I love cats and have 5 of my own), I am more concerned about the human species, and the American one in particular. The fence may not be 100% effective in a physical way, but hopefully it will begin to send a message. We need to protect our country from the myriad of attacks from outsiders and especially those looking for nefarious ways to infiltrate our borders. Build the fence, staff it with armed guards, shoot anyone who tries to cross it and bury them in the desert.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:01 pm
@George: Rural Electrification, maybe?
@artfulife: “…I am more concerned about the human species, and the American one in particular.”
-That is fucking CLASSIC. I am an american, and even I almost choked on my own vomit when I read that. We have our own species? The American Species of Mankind!?! I won’t even bother to dissect the rest of your comment, but let me just say that that was more-than-mildly retarded.
Oh yeah. Stop worrying about cats and mexicans and start worrying about the Federal Reserve and the Gaza strip running out of food by mid-week and the U.S. government selling nuclear secrets. AND IMPEACHMENT. You know, USEFUL SHIT. Or go watch “Flavor of Love”, like I give a fuck.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Artfulife,
I hope you are supporting a border on the North since more OTM(Other Than Mexican) come across the Canadian border. The majority of people in the south are looking for a better life. Terrorists go the Europe fly into Canada and simply walk across the border.
Should we shoot people on the northern border and bury them in the snow?
January 21st, 2008 at 3:03 pm
–AreYouOffended -That is fucking CLASSIC…. Or go watch “Flavor of Love”, like I give a fuck.
Wow, and you have the nerve to call me retarded? It is much easier to detect YOUR level of intelligence from that vitriolic reply.
January 21st, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Yup. I’m not in the least bit discriminatory about protecting our country(and the rights that allow each of you to lambaste me for my opinion).
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Are the Jaguars sneaking in too? Guess they can get a drivers license also!
January 26th, 2008 at 12:05 am
This is an outrage! as a wildlife biologist i am sickened more and more each day by our government’s lack of appreciation for everything we have. They sit at home in their million dollar mansions and don’t worry a god damn thing about issues that don’t directly affect their pocket book. Its all about image and money. I hope that this doesn’t go through because some of this charismatic megafauna is all the region has left. It is simply ignorant to say that losing the jaguar will not affect the other species in the region. Every species on this planet is important to the survival of other species.
January 26th, 2008 at 12:15 am
artfulife – don’t try to sound smart by using vocabulary that is out of your reach. it sounds worse to me than being vulgar. High five. have fun burying your opinions.
January 29th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
“This is an outrage! as a wildlife biologist i am sickened more and more each day by our government’s lack of appreciation for everything we have.
No asshole, the outrage is directed at YOU for not giving a flying f*ck about PEOPLE who have to deal with the WORTHLESS vato gangbangers every day in the Southwest.
February 9th, 2008 at 6:33 am
I live in the Southwest, and was born in the Southwest. I am a conservationist, and a patriot. I care about the welfare of people and wildlife. Some of the racism expressed above is downright ugly and sad. I’ve seen this fence in person: it is ugly and sad too. The immigration problem is a serious one that our country needs to tackle at its roots – we need immigration reform and we need to come up with ways to help both the US and Mexico’s economies thrive, so that Mexicans aren’t fleeing their country in search of basic labor and a chance at a better life for their families.
Obviously a fence will not solve the root problems driving illegal immigration, and is a shameful waste of tax dollars. It isn’t effective either — people are scaling it and tunneling under it right now. The engangered jaguar is caught up in this mess, and it’s habitat is being fragmented to pieces by this wall. The chances of the American jaguar recovering and reclaiming its rightful place in the wildlands of our country is being compromised. Did you know the jaguar once roamed as far north as the Grand Canyon, and stalked across parts of Louisiana? Our government’s unwillingness to develop a plan to recover this magnificent cat is a testament to an administration that has done nothing but unravel environmental protections and drag it’s feet on pressing environmental issues (e.g. global warming, deforestation) from day one to satisfy its corrupt corporate donors. Not only do we need immigration reform, we need stronger campaign finance reform to keep big money and special interests out and restore our democracy. Restore and protect our natural heritage. We need to tackle our problems proactively and collaboratively, not with hatred and divisiveness. Wake up America!
April 9th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I am all for border security, but the fence is just a another in a long line of dumb ideas to come out of the Bush Administration.
People, the fence won’t work! We need more boots on the ground, period.
The fence is a simple solution for simple minds that have no idea what it really takes to secure a border.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Fence = Incompetence. It is a boondoggle. A PR solution that accomplishes NOTHING as far as securing our boarders and damages our environment needlessly.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
You fricking losers have NO idea what LA has turned into. I do, and left after 2 DECADES. You don’t want a wall built?? FINE, PREPARE FOR F*CKING WAR!
April 12th, 2008 at 3:19 am
I guess US Gov. doesn’t think the Mexicans can obtain and use bolt cutters and hacksaws?
US Jaguars? I lived here all my live and this is news to me.
May 24th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
………………………………………………..
In 1963 they found a pregant female in the united states. Just because noone has seen females does not mean they are not in the united states. Jaguars need our help too.
May 24th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
they are already in endangered because of humans killing them. Do you really want them extinct?