I had not intended to be up in the middle of the night and watching television, but I awoke as the debate was beginning and saw half of it before my growing sense of unreality drove me back to bed. In each candidate there was defensiveness and exaggeration, promises impossible to fulfil, attempted charm, and determination to claim the prize at whatever cost. I know there is much to be done to help America and the American people, but I was shocked when Mitt Romney casually deplored environmental legislation introduced to protect migrating birds, making it clear that nothing would stand in the way of drilling and pipelines on and off shore if he were in office, certainly not wildlife considerations.
Hours later, I learned that in the UK, a petition against the planned badger cull has attracted over 100,000 signatures in just a few days, the fastest petition to the government ever known and triggering a debate in Parliament as a result. Simultaneously, an MP spoke on the subject saying there was massive support among politicians in all parties for a cull and absolute determination that it should go ahead, whatever the people felt: the debate would achieve nothing. He spoke just days after the 30 leading experts on the subject of TB in cattle had publicly called for the cull to be stopped, saying it would only worsen the problem not help it, and that other methods should be used. The MPs will not hear.
I know that the environment is important to many Americans as it is to Britons, and these two incidents showed me the extent of the separation that exists between many politicians (and others too) and the people who elected them, and indeed the world beyond that of man. There is still time to learn – and nature has a habit of reminding us who is in charge, just when she needs to.]]>
