Articles on the environment were dead on

I would like to congratulate The Telegram for its editorial “Too close for comfort” and Ed Healy on his letter “Economy versus ecology” in the same issue, Nov. 21.

Both totally hit not just one nail on the head but many.

I have commented in the past about the strange behaviour of the Canada-newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board with regards to the protection of the environment — they were going to allow exploration drilling in the Old Harry Basin in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence but, thankfully, the proponent pulled out this year.

There is a reason that canaries were used in the coal mines to detect carbon monoxide. The health of birds is an incredible predictor of environmental changes from whatever source. Once they are gone we won’t be long to follow.

Jane Adey’s recent interview on CBC Radio’s “The Broadcast” with a German ocean researcher talking about the rapidly rising acidification of the oceans and its disastrous effects on plankton upon which multitudes of sea creatures depend for food, but also on the effects on creatures that need calcium to build their shells (hello, mussel and oyster farmers) — was pretty scary as he was estimating a timeline of 40 years if nothing is done to drastically reduce carbon dioxide levels.

It seems ironic to me that here, where there has been such dependence on the ocean, we are now hell-bent to fill one of the harshest environments on the planet with oilrigs.

Keep up the good work.

Patsy Ploughman

St. John’s