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Amends (2018-05-23) (discuss.online)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/pbf@discuss.online
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[โ€“] 3 points 1 year ago (5 children)

How about a third option:

Reintroduce predators that were native to that ecosystem.

If the rampant species has flourished for some time without predators, then they might be less agile in avoiding them, leading to better outcomes.

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  • [โ€“] -1 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    That's great for people that don't live near these places. Most aren't going to volunteer to have wolves or cougars or whatever reintroduced into their local forest and risk them to run wild through the neighborhood mauling children and pets.

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  • [โ€“] 3 points 1 year ago* (3 children)

    run wild through the neighborhood

    Bears do this in many parts of North America and in general northern latitudes, and people live in harmony.

    You're appealing to fear, and the slippery slope here is eradication of all apex predators. That has done absolutely nothing for environmental conservation in the cases where it has happened.

    Apex predators can be reintroduced to habitats without direct impacts to humans. Of course there are indirect impacts, like livestock culling, but those pale in comparison to the moral ill of endangering entire species. Imagine if humans were hunted by a more sophisticated apex predators. We'd want to keep our place in the ecosystem.

    Typical anthropocentrism at work

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  • [โ€“] 1 point 1 year ago (1 child)

    slippery slope is literally fallacious reasoning

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  • [โ€“] 1 point 1 year ago

    When does the reasoning stop?

    When does this notion that we must eradicate apex predators from environments to protect our welfare and wealth come to a close?

    While there is no limit to our empathy, there is also no limit to human ego and enslavement

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  • [โ€“] 1 point 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    I feel like you are assuming I'm against you. We agree that this is the correct thing to do. I'm just trying to explain why it isn't going to happen. We didn't get here by accident. People are garbage. Why would we suddenly behave any differently? People only care about what affects them in the moment.

    Imagine telling a random person they have two choices.

    Choice number one is business as usual, people hunt down the overpopulated animals, they get food out of the deal and the ecosystem is preserved.

    Choice number two is bringing in some wolves who will achieve the same end goal, except now people don't get the food and you gotta be extra careful being outside at night if you live anywhere near the tree line (and potentially anywhere in town depending on the size).

    This is also assuming that it works out as we hope and the wolves don't become overpopulated themselves due to easy hunting and living conditions because of all the oblivious prey that don't realize they are even on the menu.

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