First, Do No Harm

"What harms the planet, harms us all" - Dr. Megan Ross.

This weekend, a letter appeared in the Chicago Tribune, decrying attempts to modify the enforcement of the Endangered Species Act in a way that would greatly weaken protections for many plants and animals.  Several such letters have appeared lately, but what made this one special to me was the authors.  It was penned by Dr. Megan Ross, CEO of the Lincoln Park Zoo, in partnership with the leadership of the Brookfield Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Morton Arboretum, and Chicago Botanic Garden.

Changes to the Endangered Species Act clear a path for species to go extinct.

Historically, zoos, aquariums, museums, and botanic gardens have been loathe to get too outright political for fear of alienating not only government authorities, whose support they rely on, but on visitors, half of which, roughly, belong to each party.  From climate change to the theoretical impact on borderlands wildlife of building a wall, this has made it difficult to speak out on some subjects; if basketball players speaking out against racial injustice are told to "shut up and dribble," zookeepers are told to "shut up and shovel."  In an age where everything is increasingly viewed through a political lens - are you MAGA or woke? - it's been an increasingly hard to take a stand without the risk of upsetting people.

But, in face of ongoing threats to the protections of endangered species, silence isn't an option.  Zoos and aquariums will have to decide if they want to be neutral or if they want to be effective voices for wildlife and wild places - and I'm pleased to see that an increasing number are choosing to be on the right side of history.