cause-effect

There is a ironic yet sad cycle that is evident in our society. It proceeds as follows

1. we, humans, do something that is seemingly harmless or "in the name of a better good"
2. said action triggers an (obviously unanticipated) chain reaction of events that are largely detrimental to the environment around us
3. this sequence comes round about - eventually resulting in some other consequence that is grand in scale enough to impacts us once again and demand "action".
-- back to #1, so the cycle continues.

This week, the USDA announced plans to "terminate" 15,000-20,000 birds in the name of safe aviation. The culprit birds, European Starlings, are non-native and invasive species that were introduced, by us, into this country in the 19th century. They are aggressive, noisy and fly dynamically in large flocks with seemingly choreographed precission which can be nothing short of spectacular.

However, they have become a nuisance. Now 20,000 must die. A slow death via poison. Certainly I understand the potential danger a flock of birds of this size, whose population continues to exponentially grow, can present to aircraft and thus human lives. But the irony surrounding our introduction of this species without realizing the consequences and subsequent poisoning of said species, also without really knowing all of the consequences seems absurd. And sad. really, really sad.