By Jeddore John
We are a little sparse on humor this month. Some of the things that are bugging me are too depressing to laugh off. What’s bugging me the most goes like this:
Since Europeans arrived on these shores, the grey wolf was wiped out, as were the Nova Scotia caribou, the Eastern cougar, and the walrus (yes, there used to be walrus in Nova Scotia). There is some dispute whether there were wild turkeys here when the first ships dropped anchor, but there are definitely none now.
From the fisheries perspective, the average decline in ten common species of fish is roughly 63% according to a report prepared for Oceans North by Daniel Boyce of the Ocean Frontier Institute at Dalhousie University. The pebbled stream beds in our rivers that are the essential breeding grounds for salmonids (trout, salmon, whitefish etc) are being clogged with silt from construction, logging, and agricultural runoff. I could go on about bees, bats, amphibians, and plants that are under threat or gone forever, but you get the picture – we are destroying the natural world.
This is where the much beleaguered trout in those pristine mountain streams come in. It annoys me to no end that General Motors and Chrysler Corp (and to a lesser extent other auto manufacturers) put out ads glorifying the abuse of our wild places. I was walking in the desert in Nevada once, and I followed a dry riverbed which had carved a narrow winding path between two high rock outcrops. It was shaded and cooler in there, so I sat on a rock to take a break from the heat of the open desert.
After a couple of minutes, a few insects started moving around on the sand and a couple of flies appeared. Minutes later, small gecko-like lizards appeared on a rock face in front of me and started doing whatever it is they do. Then came the birds and little mouse-like creatures. The place that had seemed so harsh and barren had come alive.
The point here is that you can’t appreciate Nature by blasting through it on or in your Fireball XL1000 off-road vehicle or your two-ton pickup. All you can do that way is destroy the tranquility that Nature needs to thrive.
To put that in perspective, how would you like a crazed raccoon on an ATV blasting through your living room with a bunch of his buddies in hot pursuit while you are trying to catch up on the episodes you missed of Yellowstone? Hide the popcorn. That would be the shoe on the other foot. My humble opinion is that GM and Chrysler should stop putting out advertising that condones and glorifies this type of behavior. When should they stop? Now would be good.
We have some wild places left, and that is a treasure that much of the rest of the world doesn't share in. We should all do everything in our power to protect what's left. Getting down off my soapbox now.
Speaking of GM, they are the lucky winners of my first monthly "Dumbest Ad of The Month" award. Here are all the spoken words from the winning entry:
"RS is more than a style, it's a mindset where bold choices are the norm and style matters. It's a reminder – whatever you do, do it RS. Introducing the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox and Blazer RS. Discover yours? Find new styles. Find new roads."
Yeah, I'll get right on that. I've always wanted to be a trend-setting influencer instead of a cranky old fart. But I need a little help getting started – could you explain to me why I would buy one of those vehicles instead of the Mercedes I've got my eye on. Do they have an outstanding warranty or fabulous gas mileage or what?
Anyway, congratulations GM on your achievement! And good luck in next month's contest.
Writing a column is sometimes a lonely business that sort of feels like riding a motorcycle with your helmet on backward. Don't ask me how I know that. If you have any comments or criticisms, or suggestions for topics you would like explored, I would love to hear from you. You can contact me via email at [email protected].
Please, no profanity or suggestions for self-mutilation that I should try.