Our catch phrase is on its way.
(Installment 124 -- Part 1 of a 2-Part Installment) Dear Fellow Earthlings, This installment is Part 1 of a 2-installment set in which I once again address some of the problems the human race is facing regarding the destruction of our environment and the repercussions we face as a result. Global trade has introduced species to areas outside of their natural habitats, where there are no predatory species to control their destructive habits. The geographical areas where these invasions of non-native species have taken place, quite often suffer severe damage from the invaders. For example, fire ants were inadvertently brought to the United States in at least one cargo ship. They have proliferated in the United States and have caused the deaths of livestock, people, and many native species of ants and insects. As a more geographically localized example, let’s look at Florida (See Installment 109.) Florida’s Everglades are being destroyed by malaleuca, which was seeded by airplanes to dry up the Everglades and allow sugar cane to be planted after the United States embargo of Cuban sugar in 1960. The introduction of non-native brown anoles and Cuban tree frogs into Florida has nearly caused the extinction of native lizard and toad species, which are their prey. Iguanas and other large lizard species, as well as large snakes such as boas and pythons, are invading the Everglades and other ecologically sensitive areas. In fact, Florida and its port cities have introduced and become invaded by more invasive non-native species than any other state in the U.S. Florida, of course, is just one place among thousands that are experiencing ecological hardships due to invasive species. Imports of salmonid eggs into Japan have caused outbreaks of disease into several fish species native to Japan, causing great economic and ecological losses. The list of such environmental destruction is endless. (This 2-installment set concludes with Part 2 in Installment 125.)
Steve Walker, Earthsaver and Jingles creator
© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.