My Opinion
Well, maybe we shouldn't nuke the whales, but a lot of people want to save the local Conewango Dam, so why not?
Here's why. Science tells us it's a good idea to tear down these old
mill dams--good for the fish that want to swim upstream and good for
restoring the natural flow of our waterways. Once we get used to the
smell of the mud flats, everyone who lives on the creek will suddenly
have more land. That can't hurt.
But now a couple of scientists are telling us that getting rid of dams like this may release a century of built-up silt and the nutrient rich
deposit might end up polluting our waters for ages. I'm not kidding.
This was reported in the New York Times. Read about it at this link. What does this mean? Tearing
down the dam might actually harm nature. Go figure.
Whom should we believe when scientists disagree? Earning a doctorate in
medicine taught me that at least half of the entire medical literature
is wrong. That's because by its very nature the scientific method is
constantly updating, correcting, and reversing previously accepted
knowledge. For example, it certainly is a nice thought, but we are not
the center of the universe anymore. We used to be but we aren't anymore.
The word science is bandied around much too much. It comes from the
Greek language and literally means "I know." Who knows? Maybe some day
another scientist will be able to prove, contrary to what we thought,
that we really are the center of the universe. It could happen if the
right data is discovered. That's science--it's not a religion, it's
measurement.
Today, we stand perhaps at the exit sign between the industrial
revolution and the technological revolution, both fueled by science
which changes each time another journal gets run off the printing
press. For example, there is probably some teenager sitting in a dorm room
at M.I.T. right now who has finally figured out a dirt-cheap way to turn water
into automobile fuel. Both presidential candidates are currently
encouraging this kind of thing.
But has anyone thought about the ramifications? This would make oil
worthless. Are we really ready for that? Think of the political chaos
this would create. Fortunes would be lost. Oil refineries will be
turned into museums.
Not a pretty picture, but maybe one we should ponder for a moment because it isn't that far-fetched.
Considering the short amount of time it might take to develop it we might
only have as little as 10 years left to get ready.
In the meantime, maybe we should make hay while the sun shines. Around
here we've waited 80 years for the price of oil to get high enough to
start drilling again in the Allegheny National Forest. And there is no law
against it. The way technology changes things so fast, we should start
drilling yesterday.
The downside is that we will have to cut down a lot of trees and there
will be oil wells all over the countryside. This will most certainly
ruin the area for tourism and wreck the ecology.
But how bad could this be? Could it turn out to be as bad as the last
time we exploited the northern half of western Pennsylvania? In the
1920s the Allegheny River watershed was destroyed, exacerbating yearly
flooding that wrecked the Pittsburgh economy. It was so bad we built
the Kinzua Dam.
Which is what will protect us this time. Plus, about 2% of the
Allegheny National Forest has already been set aside as wilderness, so
at least we will have that left over. Compared to the start of the
American industrial revolution, we have a much better infrastructure at
the end of the American industrial revolution.
If the land could recover from that
extreme exploitation last century, we should do an even better job of it now.
Yes, the place will look like hell for about 40 or 50 years, but the
economic benefits may far outweigh these aesthetics. Aesthetics and a
$1.25 will get you a cup of coffee, folks.
A barrel of oil will get you $140.00, currently.
And here's a piece of good luck. Due to money problems, the Allegheny
National Forest will be closing down a whole handful of tourist sites.
This will make more land eligible for oil drilling, won't it?
As my grandfather Peppay used to say, "You don't have to inspect a horse's teeth when the animal is a gift to you. Just take it and shut up."
Of course, he said it in French and it loses something in the translation. Peppay didn't make it past the fourth grade. He was a terrible farmer and a part-time lumberjack. But he made a good living in real estate by building camps on the waterfront of Lake Champlain in northern Vermont.
He had a funny way of building. First he would build the house and sell it. Then he would put in the foundation. To him, "A job worth doing is worth doing poorly--rather than not doing it at all."
It sounds better in French I guess.
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