> intentions).
>
> I think there is a very gray area between blurring information and
> deception.
> I agree, the information could be greatly misused. But I still believe
> society, and individuals have the right to make thier own decisions. It
> should be the job of the conservation societies to inform people so they
> can make thier own decisions for the benefit of society and nature.
>
The only problem is that when certain unscrupulous individuals make their
own "decisions" about threatened biota, the consequences can be
disproportionately devastating. It only takes one decisive person to wipe
out all of the Sarracenia in a small bog, to collect every pupfish from a
desert sinkhole, to raid the last condor nest, to decimate a colony of bog
turtles. All of the people "own" these resources, and they should not be
at the mercy of individuals who either see a moneymaking opportunity or
who are misguided enough to believe that they are the only ones
sufficiently knowledgeable or qualified to "save the species." Government
efforts can sometimes be a bit inefficient, but at least they are subject
to public scrutiny.
Sean Barry