GrrlScientist Explains HR 669 (UPDATE)
On her blog Living the Scientific Life, GrrlScientist does a fantastic job of explaining and critiquing HR 669, the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act. She is a PhD zoologist/ornithologist who has done research on lories.
Some of my work involves studying the transport of invasive marine species, so I’m no stranger to the subject. If there were any kind of rational, sound, scientific merit to the bill I would be the first to point that out. But this bill fails to deal with the most basic problems of invasive exotics, as well as some of the most harmful species, while applying draconian prohibitions on hundreds of animals frequently kept as pets. It would literally be a death sentence for many animals whose species had not gone through the usually lengthy — and in HR 669 undefined — process of exemption.
GrrlScientist lays out some of the most glaring shortcomings and logical inconsistencies, so I’ll let her do the work!
I have found many positions taken by the “anti-animal rights” lobby to be overreactions to sound policies. This one isn’t. I’m actually stunned that many respectable environmental organizations are supporting it.
UPDATE: Look for an Op-Ed piece by GrrlScientist in the New York Times in the coming week.
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April 16th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Thanks for the link. It was a great find and I’m glad you took the time to link up the information about this hideously written bill. Bravo and claws up! Nice job Raz!
April 16th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Fantastic post Raz. Thanks. The bill in its entirety should be halted…I would even venture to say: not rewritten, not amended, but scrapped and back to the drawing board.