Air Date: Week of September 8, 2006

Living on Earth dips into our mailbag to hear from our listeners.

Transcript

GELLERMAN: It’s Living on Earth. I’m Bruce Gellerman. Time now to hear from you, our listeners.

[LETTERS THEME]

GELLERMAN: Our recent conversation with Daniel Duane who hunted endangered sheep in order to save them raised the hackles of dozens of you. You may recall Mr. Duane is a writer and self-described environmentalist. The hunt he joined raised thousands of dollars for a conservation program that protects the wild sheep. Dana Franchitto of South Wellesley, Massachusetts listens to LOE on WCAI, and takes issue with the idea of hunting in the name of conservation.

FRANCHITTO: I think that is a lame rationalization. We do not have to kill to survive, most people don’t hunt to survive. And, therefore I feel it is unnecessary, and it’s also a danger to hikers and other people who are enjoying the woods recreationally.

GELLERMAN: But just as many listeners supported author Daniel Duane’s actions. Andrew Knutch hears us on KWOI in Atlantic, Iowa, where he’s a life-long hunter and a hunting safety instructor.

KNUTCH: I want to give kudos and applaud the gentleman for opening his mind with regard to the hunting and the cycle of life with regard to prey animals that have been prey animals for one hundred thousand years. And one of my goals is to train and to teach suburban and urban youth that hunting isn’t bad if it’s done in the proper way and if respect is shown for the animal that the individual hunts.

GELLERMAN: Kudos too from listener Robert Perron from Brandford, Connecticut. He enjoyed our special coverage of the New Orleans levee system and the coastal geology of the area. He writes “After a year, I learned more from this show than from most of the coverage since Katrina.” Well, thanks a lot Robert.

And finally, our report on oil industry profits and the oil companies’ ad campaigns casting doubt on global warming sent Grant Garber to his phone. He listens to us on WUNC in North Carolina.

GARBER: For Exxon-Mobile to fund a conservative think tank that poo-poos the threat of global warming would be like RJ Reynolds paying for public service announcements to tell people that the warnings about smoking cigarettes being hazardous for the health are alarmist propaganda.

GELLERMAN: It’s been known to happen. Well, if you want to poo-poo, rah-rah, rant, or rave about something you hear on our program, give us a call. Our listener line is open 24-7. The number is 800-218-9988; that’s 800-218-ninety-nine eighty-eight. Or write us at 20 Holland Street, Somerville, Massachusetts 02144. Our e-mail address is comments at LOE dot org. And visit our web page at Living on Earth dot org where you can hear us anytime. That's Living on Earth dot org. Somerville, Massachusetts 02144.