Environmental Rant of the Year

[javidan]

CAUTION: Complaining ahead.

I think it all boils down to this: ARE PEOPLE REALLY THAT STUPID?Item #1:  I collect paper for recycling. It's amazing what little trash you have after you pull out all paper/product packaging, etc. When I have a paper sack full I take it by the local Lutheran church who have a collection bin in their parking lot. They

Comments

[scarlett71177]

Ugh, I could say 'ditto' to all three of these. I get tired of noticing how ignorant, selfish, and just plain uncaring people are. It's just sad how often you hear people reply "I don't care," to any comment. We just can't let them win and let that become the predominant attitude (though I think the balance is close or might have already tipped some days.)

I'm sorry about your tree. :-( It's crazy that Dupont thinks they can just replace a 40 y.o. tree. It reminds me of a documentary I saw a few weeks ago called "If A Tree Falls..." on PBS.

http://video.pbs.org/video/2122024902

Yeah, that one will stick with me for a looong time. :-(

[javidan]

It's quite disheartening...are the stupid people breeding faster than we are? Probably so...
I SHOULD HAVE HAD A DOZEN KIDS. No, not really, lol.

It's hard for me to imagine them replacing as many trees as I've got damaged. They'd have to dig up half the yard and that would damage the root systems of the other surviving trees!

That video looks really good---I'll have to check it out.

[scarlett71177]

are the stupid people breeding faster than we are?

Yes that, and it's just so EASY not to care and be selfish or cruel.

Gosh. Is there no chance the trees can be saved?

The documentary is excellent, but really tough to watch sometimes. :-(

[javidan]

Not sure yet on the prognosis of the trees. We're waiting to hear on the settlement from Dupont. Apparently they send someone out to assess the damage and then make an offer. I have no clue how much these trees are even worth since they were here when we moved in. From the looks of the 5 spruces, I'd say at least 2 are goners. The other 3 may survive. The pines should do okay. I hope.

[alias_amy]

Holy crap that's AWFUL. I hate seeing trees die, especially when it's out of sheer stupidity and greed. It physically hurts. We have a tree in our front yard. We live very close to Wrigley Field in Chicago, and every now and then we have drunk frat boys wandering down our street trying to find their car. Last spring, some guy decided to jump and pull on the lowest hanging branch; he ended up tearing away the entire branch and the trunk split down the middle. We managed to splint the thing up and now its a question of whether it can survive the winter.

And you know, it's not just that it's a piece of property. The tree was at least 70 years old, and its a variety that you can't buy commercially anymore. It makes me sick to think that one jerk showing off to his friends can kill something so unique with so much history.

Anyway, I really hope your spruces survive; from the photo, it actually looks quite lovely.

[javidan]

Oh, that is really sad. At least I've got some hope of replacing mine but if your's dies it's rather irreplaceable---at least in your lifetime. :-(

If I were you I'd set some nice traps for trespassing frat boys...

[roh_wyn]

Ugh, that sucks about the trees. I remember the EPA launching an investigation into Imprelis, so clearly, DuPont knows it's in a world of hurt.

Not to make things more complicated (and certainly, it's hard to ascribe financial value to a 40-year old tree), but maybe have a brief chat with a lawyer in your area, re: your rights and compensation?

So here's my question: If I work for Dupont developing new deadly chemical cocktails and they're supposed to be used on people's lawns wouldn't I ask myself, "Will this harm anything else on the lawn---like TREES?"In defense of the poor schmuck chemists working in R&D for DuPont, they had reason to believe that aminocyclopyrachlor (the active ingredient in Imprelis) is selective for broad-leaf vegetation, which would not include most forms of trees, and especially not evergreen trees

[javidan]

brief chat with a lawyer in your area
Agreed. We're waiting to see how exactly Dupont will settle these claims. If it's not sweet enough we'll stir the pot of litigation.

You're right about the poor scientist---I was getting a little excited, lol. The bureaucracy of a company like Dupont must be staggering. The 'results' no doubt were in line with their 'plan' all along. Hopefully someone really responsible will end up the scapegoat.

Oh, and you mentioned the grass clippings---hadn't even thought about that since I've put some in my compost pile. *facepalm*

[willow_wand]

Do they really think this stuff biodegrades?
They don't think at all, I'd say. Their motivation is just to get rid of it. It's laziness and nothing more.

I'm so sorry about your beautiful trees. :( That poor spruce. I really hope that DuPont catches a lot of hell for this.

*hugs*

[javidan]

The stupid lazy people outnumber us Jen! Very frustrating...

I love my big evergreen trees. They're one of the reasons we bought this house. The first time the boys saw the house (while house-hunting) they called it the house with the Christmas trees. They climbed in them and got full of tree sap, lol.