Blackbirds
And I don’t mean the reconnaissance plane.
Huntin’, shootin’, an’ fishin’
Cash cows.
As Father McMoor departs, he calls on Mr Crofter to remember his duty, implying his duty to the animals on the island. The question is, “What duty can there be to animals?”
Similar to previous dilemmas in which animal rights have featured, I would still argue that whether the animal in question is domesticated or not, we ought to be bound to ensure it’s well treated and doesn’t suffer from our activities; that how we exploit it (if that’s what we’re doing) doesn’t endanger it. In other words, if we’ve intruded into its habitat, we’ve just become responsible for it. That the species in question might actually be wild is neither here nor there. Probably it is wild because a bunch of humans have intruded. We can’t assume that an animal has anywhere else to go because it may be restricted to a very limited niche.
Mr Crofter could still have an ecologically sound golf course, perhaps even one that’s a little more interesting for its setting. Certain parts of the island would, in effect, be designated as nature reserves. He could offer tours (for a price), for example, and the publicity might be beneficial, especially if Father McMoor starts talking to the media. Well, it’s play nice with nature or have a bunch of tree-hugging eco-freaks causing trouble.
Similar to previous dilemmas in which animal rights have featured, I would still argue that whether the animal in question is domesticated or not, we ought to be bound to ensure it’s well treated and doesn’t suffer from our activities; that how we exploit it (if that’s what we’re doing) doesn’t endanger it. In other words, if we’ve intruded into its habitat, we’ve just become responsible for it. That the species in question might actually be wild is neither here nor there. Probably it is wild because a bunch of humans have intruded. We can’t assume that an animal has anywhere else to go because it may be restricted to a very limited niche.
Mr Crofter could still have an ecologically sound golf course, perhaps even one that’s a little more interesting for its setting. Certain parts of the island would, in effect, be designated as nature reserves. He could offer tours (for a price), for example, and the publicity might be beneficial, especially if Father McMoor starts talking to the media. Well, it’s play nice with nature or have a bunch of tree-hugging eco-freaks causing trouble.
Here endeth Dilemma 95
Here beginneth Dilemma 96
Huntin’, shootin’, an’ fishin’
Cash cows.
Just when Mr Crofter’s employees are preparing to receive Sanctuary Island’s first customers guests, he spots some sort of big fat seal near the jetty. He orders his people to get rid of it and others like it, but his secretary, Lara, suggests that people could hunt the seals because she’s hoping that by making them economically valuable, she might be able to save them from the same fate as the other animals on the island.
The resort is a great success, the seal hunt is a major attraction, and there are jobs for the locals. The Scottish Humanist Society erects a statue of Mr Crofter in Glasgow. But there are some people (was that Father McMoor I saw talking to a journalist?) who say that he hasn’t earnt the honour.
From an anthropocentric perspective, Mr Crofter might’ve improved the lot of local people, but from a natural one, he’s an animicidal [sic] (animacidal?) maniac. The scenario doesn’t actually say whether the animals which are being hunted are also being properly managed so that the population can be sustained. But Mr Crofter seems to represent the vein of humanity that sees nature and cannot abide such unproductive untidiness. I’m reminded of an earlier series of environmental dilemmas (83-86) and how humanity wasn’t separate from nature but part of it.
The problem with Lara’s suggestion (as the book notes), you can have hunting as a form of management (e.g. too many elephants despoil the forest), but you also have people opposed to hunting. It does seem to be a pity, though, that plants and animals have to have an economic value before they’re valued. I can imagine the effort that would be put into protecting an endangered plant if it contained some key ingredient in a universal cure for cancer.
We all need to do something. I don’t mean that we have to turn into a bunch of eco-Luddites, but little things add up to a lot. Developed countries should do something, but shouldn’t be expected to shoulder the burden of fixing things alone. The Third World shouldn’t be allowed to stick its head in the sand and pretend that just because we made a huge mess, they should be allowed to make a huge mess as well. But it does take everyone.
The resort is a great success, the seal hunt is a major attraction, and there are jobs for the locals. The Scottish Humanist Society erects a statue of Mr Crofter in Glasgow. But there are some people (was that Father McMoor I saw talking to a journalist?) who say that he hasn’t earnt the honour.
From an anthropocentric perspective, Mr Crofter might’ve improved the lot of local people, but from a natural one, he’s an animicidal [sic] (animacidal?) maniac. The scenario doesn’t actually say whether the animals which are being hunted are also being properly managed so that the population can be sustained. But Mr Crofter seems to represent the vein of humanity that sees nature and cannot abide such unproductive untidiness. I’m reminded of an earlier series of environmental dilemmas (83-86) and how humanity wasn’t separate from nature but part of it.
The problem with Lara’s suggestion (as the book notes), you can have hunting as a form of management (e.g. too many elephants despoil the forest), but you also have people opposed to hunting. It does seem to be a pity, though, that plants and animals have to have an economic value before they’re valued. I can imagine the effort that would be put into protecting an endangered plant if it contained some key ingredient in a universal cure for cancer.
We all need to do something. I don’t mean that we have to turn into a bunch of eco-Luddites, but little things add up to a lot. Developed countries should do something, but shouldn’t be expected to shoulder the burden of fixing things alone. The Third World shouldn’t be allowed to stick its head in the sand and pretend that just because we made a huge mess, they should be allowed to make a huge mess as well. But it does take everyone.
We leave the environment behind for the world of B-movie ethics. Box office bombs away!
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