Posted on 03/02/2007 6:07:43 PM PST by Kitten Festival
Environment: Whatever happened to the rain forest? The virtuous cause seems to have become an endangered species with the totemic rise of global warming. Maybe that's the lesson.
Not too long ago, the news was atwitter with stories of rain forest bio-jewelry, rain forest vegetable leather, rain forest acai juice, rain forest wisdom and Rainforest Cafes with Chicken Monsoon or Amazon mushroom burger repasts amid a lot of parrot noise. Don't forget Ben & Jerry's Rainforest Crunch ice cream.
A few years ago, Amazon rain forest stories full of cuddly animal images drew big publicity for environmental groups like the World Wildlife Fund. Here, a panda-festooned WWF balloon flies near Manaus, Brazil, in late 2006 to carry on the message. One could take a class trip to the Amazon, book a rain forest vacation eco-tour, go to a rain forest art exhibit, watch Dora explore the rain forest on TV, give to a rain forest charity, stroll through the rain forest stalls on Earth Day, or see a kids' rain forest ballet — all for the ennobling idea of "getting involved" to "save the rain forest, save yourself."
Some news stories drove the issue with panicky meters ticking away with how many square miles of rain forest were destroyed by human development each year, and warning that time is running out.
Those things are still around, and if a LexisNexis search is any indication, the media still mention the rain forest as much as they always did, maybe more.
But there's no mistake that the rain forest isn't making the news the way it once did. Today, the top environmental issue is global warming, and as it becomes the issue du jour, there's reason to think it may follow the path pioneered by the rain forest's time in the sun.
(Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorials.com ...
"Rain forest" is so, like, last year...
The rain forest went out of fashion with the libbies, just like the little red AIDS ribbons and HIV-AIDS too, for that matter.
I love all the IBD editorials and am glad they snagged Ramirez, the best cartoonist in America and the last good thing the LAT had going for it.
I'm still trying to "save the whales"
Yeah, it's been hard collecting the whole set, right?
Which is...? (I live in a forest, in the Great Pacific Northwet, near Seattle -- is this a "rainforest"?)
I've never heard him breathe a word about rain forests, and I don't think I ever will.
So far, I like what I hear about Duncan Hunter. I''ll be surprised if I agree with him on every single issue, but he's leading the pack so far.
"still trying to "save the whales"
Ohhhh, man, I thought it was NUKE the whales. My bad.
How's that ozone hole doing?
LOL!!!!!
I am busy collecting water wings for polar bears myself.
Hi Feef!!!!
Hi, Kitten. Hope all is well.
The rain forest went the same direction that freeing Tibet went. When liberals realized basically it meant giving the U.S. license to influence other countries, it conflicted with their need for self-hatred.
Also, it was too gray an issue. Save the rain forest, kick out the farmers and ranchers trying to make a living.
Yes, well, indeed, thanks!
My favorite bumper sticker to offend nearly everybody: "Nuke the unborn gay Whales".
The real reason the rainforest is no longer on everyone's radar?
It's no longer hip. Something else is now hip. And that is the only reason.
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