For years I have been blowing the trumpet of reason while defending the cat who is consistently maligned by bird conservationists for destroying bird populations (one example of many articles on PoC). The bird conservationists have been shouting loud and long that the stray cat is a threat to native bird species in the USA. I have consistently said that people are by far the biggest bird killers. New and shocking research over a seven year period has concluded that climate change (global warming caused by people) threatens more than half of the bird species in the USA.
We are not talking about a reduction in the numbers of birds of a specific species, this is about potential mass extinctions of whole bird species in North America. We all know that some cats prey on birds but they are down the list of prey items but this research is about the extinction of bird species, something far greater and serious.
I feel like saying, “I told you so” but the truth is too sad to waste time gloating. It is also ironic that the National Audubon Society which is behind this research because they have on occasions written scathing reports about the stray cat, recommending urgent action against it.
There are 650 bird species in the USA so 325 species are under threat because of humankind’s total inability to behave sensibly in preserving nature and the planet.
Humankind has distanced himself from nature and as a consequence is unable to grasp the degree of damage that commercial activity has upon nature.
A massive march is planned for New York: The People’s Climate March; 300,000 people are expected.
Taking steps to reduce climate change has been a catastrophic failure of our leaders. A major reason why they have been so ineffectual is because the financial crash of 2008 diverted energies to recovering the economies of countries. Climate change was put on the back burner. The leaders decided that it is too expensive to save the bloody planet! It is gross short-sightedness as usual.
I hope that this shattering news shuts up the cat haters’ criticisms of the cat as a predator of birds, once and for all.
It is time for cat criticisers to turn the spotlight on themselves. People are the primary bird killers and it ever was thus even before climate change because of loss of habitat and buildings etc..
We have to think even bigger than conserving the bird species. If we go on ignoring the effects on nature of economic growth as the only model for life it will be humankind that needs conserving as well.
Thanks Dee, just one of my old posters that went with a PoC article I once wrote. Love you too x
Perfection, R!
Love it and you.