Environmental Concerns

* Re “Habitat for the Red-Legged Frog,” Ventura County letters, Oct. 8.

The writer of this letter deploring the preservation of habitats for the California red-legged frog begins by stating that she’s a conservationist, then she spends the remainder of her letter expounding on points of view that are completely anti-conservationist and anti-environmental.

She asks for balance between people, animals and plants. So do I--because at present, the scales are heavily weighted toward human activities, desires and greed. Maybe she doesn’t realize that the loss of plant and animal species, which is now occurring at a faster rate than at any time in recorded history, only accelerates the demise of the human species.

She laments that activities such as mining, grazing, off-highway vehicle use, logging and pesticide use will need to be controlled or eliminated to help preserve frog habitats. What is wrong with that? Sounds better than the thoughtless plundering and poisoning of the planet that has been all too prevalent.

She next whines that human recreational activities may be limited. In other words, human leisure activities are more important than the survival of another species. Since when do we have the right to play God in what lives or perishes for the convenience of humans?

She ends her letter by urging us to back amendments to the Endangered Species Act to eliminate environmental extremism. Without this extremism, the human race will too soon be on the endangered list.

We don’t need conservationists like this in Ventura County. I suggest that she move to a Superfund site, a place where she won’t be bothered by other life forms since they will have been decimated.

BRAD NELSON

Oxnard