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Show THE ZEPHYR/AUGUST-SEPTEMBER Mainstream environmentalists think they have the answer to this conundrum: conserve, recycle and explore clean renewable alternative energies. Guess what, folks? Unless we embrace the idea of radically and voluntarily reducing the human population of planet earth, all of our good intentions and good works will only put off the inevitable day of reckoning when Mother Nature does it for us. There is a whole science built on this notion called "Demographics" which studies the distribution of animal populations. Homo Sapiens is an animal and subject to all the same distribution issues as any other. Disease, disaster, catastrophe, war, you name it, overshoot is alreadyhere. We have exceeded the carrying capacity of our environment and are running it into ruin. If we fail to reduce our numbers, all the technological nano-wonders of clean energy and conservation is just humanity whistling through the graveyard. ; We now find ourselves in a strange world where environmentalists lobby for modern, clean nuclear energy. But again, why bother making more energy? We don't >need< more energy. Really, we've got more energy than we know what to do with. We're infatuated with it, reeling drunken energy junkies who don't want to face the end of our hundred-year binge. The mass of humanity is unconcerned and embraces that great triumvirate of modern deities: Science, Technology & Human Potential. "Don't worry Evan, genius problem- solvers using the scientific method to develop new technologies will save us all from our WHO’S Stiles, I recently read the story in High Country News about you and The Zephyr. Congratulations. The fact that you have survived for almost 20 years now is testament to the quality of your paper, and especially in light of the opposition it sometimes receives. I was particularly surprised, however, to read Heidi McIntosh’s comments on behalf of SUWA. For her to call your paper “irrelevant” and to arrogantly sniff that she “doesn’t even read it anymore,” made my BP rise just a bit. I have been a longtime Zephyr reader and save most of my back issues. To update Ms. Mcintosh on what she’s missed, just in the last year, let me fill her in—The ZepAyrhas To read SUWA's Heidi Mcintosh call your paper "IRRELEVANT" and to sniff that she "DOESN'T READ IT ANYMORE" made my BP rise just a bit. Joel Gregory, Los Angeles, CA own worst excesses!" IfI were a betting man, I wouldn't bet on it. We'd like to think that Star Trek is real, that we have mastered reality in such a way as to produce magical technologies, that science fiction is now, as it was in the 19th century, a true and accurate vision of an achievable future. Again, I wouldn't bet on it. This is what our ol' pal Friedrich Nietzsche meant when he wrote "God is Dead". Who needs religion when you've got the fruits of science? : Nietzsche probably never foresaw a time when those intoxicated energy junkies, drunk on the fruits of science, would also be apocalypse-believing God-fearing fundamentalist religious zealots. The worst of both worlds, I say. ; To paraphrase Abbey, who himself probably borrowed it from Mark Twain, if you aren't insulted by now, you weren't reading carefully enough. Thanks and kudos to The Zephyr for standing up to the juggernaut of wishy-washy sugar-coated wishful-thinking pollyanna-enviro-recreation corporateoligarchy-compromises with grace, dignity, honor and humor, yours, Evan Cantor Boulder, yada yada yada Mainstream environmentalists think they have the answer: 2006 “IRRELEVANT,” continued to speak forthrightly and courageously about development and urban sprawl, Stiles took us to Cathedral in the Desert last year to show all of us this beautiful place and to remind us that it still lives , its staff, especially Martin Murie has eloquently opposed the war in Iraq...surely Ms. McIntosh thinks THAT is relevant. Mudd and Stiles continue to tread where few dare to go, especially in Utah, to the subject of over-population and overconsumption. Stiles dared to criticize the religious right in this country and proposed that Christians start looking at what Jesus Christ really said, instead of letting Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh do their thinking and talking. Isn’t that something SUWA would be interested in? And there was an excellent history article about Native Americans and the way they were treated by White people in the 19 Century. Should we assume that Heidi Mcintosh and SUWA think the treatment of Native Americans is “irrelevant” as well? Finally, more than anything else, The Zephyr continues to allow an open discussion of the issues in the Feedback section. Last month, when pro-SUWA writers bashed you about the head and told you to shutup, I was proud of you for printing their idiotic comments anyway. I have little respect for people who REFUSE to listen to the other side of an argument. Thinking now of Heidi McIntosh’s comment that she doesn’t read The Zephyr anymore, isn’t that EXACTLY what President George W Bush says about papers HE doesn’t like? Something to think about. Sincerely. Joel Gregory CONSERVE, RECYCLE & EXPLORE clean renewable alternative energies. GUESS WHAT? Unless we embrace the idea of reducing population... all of our good intentions will only put off the inevitable DAY OF RECKONING. Los Angeles, CA MORE FROM LLOYD PIERSON on NATIVE AMERICANS Dear Jim, ; Ms. Karen Hastings has reinforced your opinions about the treatment of our aboriginal population. Unfortunately she does it much like you did, one sided. She also misconstrues Evan Cantor, Boulder, CO my original letter in that she seems to portray me as an Indian hater when that is far from the truth. I understand op-ed pieces can be one point of view but feel it is of benefit to AT LEAST WE ASK THE QUESTIONS? Sir, I thoroughly enjoyed your original article and have been following the comments and feedback on the subject of selling our wilderness to tourists. Well done on stirring up the mud so effectively. Additionally I read the cover article on you in a recent edition of High Country News. \'ve had many thoughts since reading the HCN article and was also prompted to go purchase my own copy of Desert Solitaire. First off — it seems apparent you feel the same regret that Abbey did. The CCZ has shown an wonderful spotlight on Moab for years, likely resulting in more people coming there and more environmental damage. A double-edged sword can cut very deeply. Second — a stray thought, based on my not yet finished reading of Solitaire. maybe we deserve the damage. The US and its consumerist behaviors are damaging environs throughout the world. There is some justice in having to live more directly with the consequences of these actions. Admittedly it will be our descendants who live with the consequences, but that sounds more reasonable than leaving the rest of the world to deal with the outcomes of our overindulgence. In the end though, reason and compassion prevail and more names of prosperity and consumerism is bad. Unfortunately middle-class in constant search of places to spend disposable Thank you for at least raising difficult questions and putting discussion. damage to population income are more meat our planet in the growth and the powerful forces. on the bones of : present the other side too. Ms. Hastings not only doesn’t understand that she put words in my mouth and as much as she hates stereotypes, provides us with one of her own: The Noble Red Man, which is a throwback to the 19" Century when people like her were helping Indians as much as they could. : I have never called Indians dirty, or lazy or ignorant and stupid and am not aware of what she means by an “Indian Princess.” Her use of the word “squaw,” although a perfectly good Algonquian word for female, is frowned upon by some politically correct today. And I doubt her life has been as hard as pre-Columbian Indian women had it. She is puzzled by my statement that Indians contributed little to the general welfare except plants that they used. The list of plants they gave to Europeans is much longer than Ms. Hastings has provided. She forgot chocolate, the most important of all (joke). Contrary to her remark, I did not write anything about Indians eating dogs except that they did eat them. She drew her own conclusions. Ze ater Indian culture was fairly simple compared to that of Europeans. Indians provided no great contributions to the advancement of civilization, no great inventions, no great ideas, no great religions or political parties, or architecture. They were a receptive culture as they obtained horses, steel and iron, gun powder, guns, wheels, writing and other things that the Europeans already had. They had intertribal conflicts from prehistoric times as the _ archaeological record shows and were unable to provide a united front to European advancement because of tribal enmity. The few instances they were able to join tribal forces continued on next page... Best Regards, Toby Brown Salt Lake City, UT E arty —— Stationary Invitations: Carbonless Forms Flyers Magnetic Signs Rack Cards Invoices Computer Forms yy SS 8 See =e =7,\| \ Zephyr publisher's on one illiterate ass Repairs Upgrades many a time." 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