Friday, Aug. 15, 2008

Letter: Endangered species

Editor: As of Aug. 11, the Bush administration has proposed major changes to the Endangered Species Act.

Their plan is to remove government scientists from the decision-making process in determining the extent to which construction projects of any type would negatively affect endangered plants and animals. Developers would monitor the environmental impacts of their own projects.

Furthermore, pollution contributing to global warming would no longer be allowed to be analyzed by federal agencies. In other words, the current system of "environmental checks and balances" would no longer exist; developers and construction companies would become self-regulated.

In recent years, California has fallen victim to longer, hotter summers lasting well into November. Our blue skies have turned grayish-brown.

Merced County is witnessing the disappearance of butterflies, bees, foxes, frogs and white cranes. Our agricultural industry is rapidly shrinking. Our lakes have dwindled down to glorified ponds. Our rivers are now seasonal creeks.

Worst of all, Mount Shasta, which was once this state's crowning snow-covered jewel, is now nothing more than a dormant brown mountain with a few patches of white.

Our state is changing before our eyes, yet the Bush administration thinks there is no need for environmental oversight.

I am by no means a tree-hugger or an environmental terrorist. I do not belong to Greenpeace, the Sierra Club or any other environmental organization.

We have been called upon by God to take care of this planet. This includes our federal agencies.

CURTIS MOOK

Atwater