Air Date: Week of October 9, 1998

And now it’s time to hear from our listeners, with responses to our story on the mass shooting of double-breasted cormorants in upstate New York, our coverage of the Green Party race for congressional seats in New Mexico, and commentator Michael Silverstein’s proposal that environmentalist activists learn how to play political hardball.

Transcript

CURWOOD: And now it's time to hear from you, our listeners. Our story on the mass shooting of double-creasted cormorants in upstate New York prompted a response from Michael Armstrong, who listens to us on KUAR in Little Rock, Arkansas. Mr. Armstrong writes that we need to take into account the human activities that have increased the cormorant population in recent years, such as the elimination of certain pesticides and the growth of the aquaculture industry in the birds' wintering range. He writes, "We have created this problem through the artificial creation of habitat favored by the bird. The solution will require an artificial method to control bird population levels at the breeding grounds. Until officials at the Fish and Wildlife Service come to grips with this concept, more tragic and meaningless situations such as the one in New York will continue."

Our coverage of the green influence on Congressional races in New Mexico drew a response from Bob Anderson, a Green Party candidate for the state's first Congressional district. Mr. Anderson, who hears us on KUMN in Albuquerque, took us to task for implying that Green Party candidacies always help elect Republicans.

ANDERSON: That reflects a whole local bias in the Democratic party, and it doesn't reflect what's going on here in the Green Party and people in the environmental movement. And I just think you have really, really hurt the environmental movement, if that's what you're concerned about, by engaging in such partisan politics.

CURWOOD: Alan Cooper, who hears us on WCPN in Cleveland, disagreed strongly with commentator Michael Silverstein's proposal that environmental activists learn how to play political hardball. "Silverstein has it all wrong," Mr. Cooper writes. "His prescription is a suicide pact that we environmentalists should become unforgiving zealots who must have the whole pie, or else. Environmentalists are not blind followers, and our leaders are not extremists espousing the one revealed true way."

We welcome your comments on our program. Call our listener line any time at 1-800-218-9988. That's 800-218-9988. Or write 8 Story Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. Our e-mail address is LOE@NPR.ORG. Once again, LOE@NPR.ORG. And check out our Web page at www.livingonearth.org. Tapes and transcripts are $15.