Japanese and Saving Whales

Two items in The Times (June 13) made me wonder whether a season of scientific lunacy has come upon us in the guise of protecting the environment. An article (Part I) noted that whale populations were significantly smaller than previously thought, with some species numbering only in the hundreds, but that Japan (and, until recently, Iceland) was killing several hundred whales a year under the guise of “research.”

Then, an item in Metro stated that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has proposed lowering the water level of Mono Lake by 4 to 6 feet for a scientific study of the saline lake’s ecosystem. This while environmental groups are fighting to raise the water level to protect bird nesting areas and preserve the brine shrimp on which the birds feed.

Both of these items remind me of the old joke of testing flashbulbs by flashing them.

IVAR TOMBACH

Altadena