Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Loving Animals to Death
Townhall.com ^ | July 19, 2017 | John Stossel

Posted on 07/19/2017 8:47:25 AM PDT by Kaslin

We need to sell more rhino horns, quickly.

That may be the only way to save rhinos from extinction. Today, rhinos vanish because poachers kill them for their horns. Businesses turn their horns into ornaments or quack health potions.

Some horns sell for $300,000. No wonder poachers risk their lives for one. How do you fight an incentive that strong?

Flood the market!

That's a solution suggested by Matthew Markus.

Markus's biotech company can make artificial rhino horn in a laboratory that's virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.

Put enough of that lab-grown horn on the market and supply and demand will bring the price way down.

Then poachers won't risk getting killed trying to steal real rhino horn.

"One way to devalue something is to create a lot of it," said Markus. "When things are abundant, people don't kill."

South Africa tried a mild version of this solution once. For 20 years, they made it legal to own rhinos and sell their horns.

Poaching dropped because legal rhino farming took away the poachers' incentive. Rhino farmers bred rhinos and protected them. Once in a while, they'd put rhinos to sleep with tranquilizer darts and saw off their horns. The horns grow back. The rhino population quadrupled.

Win-win.

But animal welfare activists are never happy with any solution that involves profiting from nature. South Africa banned sales of rhino horn again. Poaching rose 9,000 percent from 2007 to 2014, according to the World Wildlife Fund. CARTOONS | Gary Varvel View Cartoon

Now South Africa is considering legalization again, but they will have to fight the NGOs.

Some, like Humane Society International, even oppose sale of that artificial horn. They asked the U.S. government to block a shipment of a sample of rhino DNA that might have created better artificial horn.

I confronted the Humane Society's spokeswoman about that. Our interview will be one of the first videos for my new project: "Stossel on Reason." I will post videos weekly on Facebook, Twitter and Reason TV. We start this week.

In this first story, the Humane Society's Masha Kalinina passionately argues against re-legalizing rhino farming and the sale of artificial horn.

"This is dangerous! Absolutely dangerous for rhinos and their survival," she says. "This is greenwashing an illegal activity. ... The problem is that people still see animals as commodities, natural resources for their use!"

Yes. And why is that a problem? I eat eggs and chicken, and I drink milk. More chickens and cows are alive because people like me pay for them or what they produce.

Kalinina replied: "Are we really going to farm every single animal on this planet so we can continue endlessly supplying this bloodlust and thirst of people to consume wildlife products?"

Give me a break. Farming isn't "bloodlust."

South African farmer John Hume says each of his 1,500 rhinos has 12 acres of land in which to run around. Every two years he trims their horns. That procedure is painless enough that even environmental groups perform it on wild rhinos to discourage poachers.

The Humane Society claims legalization won't stop poaching. Kalinina points out that elephant ivory trading was once made partly legal, and it "started up a new carving industry in China." Demand increased when supply increased, she said.

But that was hardly real legalization. Just a few one-off sales were allowed. To really bring down the price, you'd need a consistent supply of cheap horns. Artificial horn could provide that.

The Humane Society rejects that solution. Instead, they run ads that say rhino horn is not good medicine.

It's fine to try to educate people, but legal rhino farming and artificial horn are much better ideas. People respond faster to price signals than lectures from the Humane Society or regulations that impoverished African nations barely enforce.

The NGOs' solution has failed. Hunting bans don't stop poaching. In fact, bans create more crime, just as government's attempts to prohibit alcohol sales did. Poachers have killed a thousand park rangers.

If we stick to the Humane Society and other NGOs' ways of doing things, the rhino and other endangered animals will disappear.

Market-hating environmentalists will love endangered animals to death.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: animalwhackos; ara; environmentalists; liberalactivists; stossel

1 posted on 07/19/2017 8:47:25 AM PDT by Kaslin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
I saw a story on this on the show ADAM RUINS EVERYTHING. He explained to a bleeding heart that charging exorbitant fees to hunters looking to bag endangered species in Africa raises enough money to allow them to set up up sanctuaries and do other things to help with conserving and increasing the herds of said animals.
2 posted on 07/19/2017 9:02:14 AM PDT by Sans-Culotte (Time to get the US out of the UN and the UN out of the US!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

South Africa tried a mild version of this solution once. For 20 years, they made it legal to own rhinos and sell their horns.

Poaching dropped because legal rhino farming took away the poachers’ incentive. Rhino farmers bred rhinos and protected them. Once in a while, they’d put rhinos to sleep with tranquilizer darts and saw off their horns. The horns grow back. The rhino population quadrupled.

Win-win.

But animal welfare activists are never happy with any solution that involves profiting from nature.


Of course. Because the Libs are extremists. Never mind the fact that a rhino isn’t hurt by trimming his horn any more than a human is hurt by trimming his fingernails.


3 posted on 07/19/2017 9:45:59 AM PDT by Flick Lives (#CNNblackmail)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
Instead, they run ads that say rhino horn is not good medicine.

Some people believe it is. This is a good reminder that it's a weird and irrational world out there.

If rhino horns are "medicine," so are you own fingernails.

4 posted on 07/19/2017 9:50:23 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("Everybody loves to talk about 'values' because there is no math involved.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Flick Lives

You are so right.

What would the market for bear parts would be if one could sell legally taken ones.

Very cheap I would say in Wis. alone we kill 5000 plus bears a year.

The anti’s are anti’s they make no common sense.


5 posted on 07/19/2017 9:50:31 AM PDT by riverrunner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

I sure wish there was a Black Market for dog & cat hair. I’d be rich, rich, RICH! Maybe I DO need that Spinning Wheel I’ve been lusting after?

*SMIRK*


6 posted on 07/19/2017 10:03:54 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

I used to have Irish Wolfhounds and spun yarn from the fur and wove it into a poncho that was incredibly warm, soft and waterproof


7 posted on 07/19/2017 11:26:56 AM PDT by McGavin999 ("The press is impotent when it abandons itself to falsehood."Thomas Jefferson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: McGavin999

LOVE that breed!

Angora Rabbits are in my future once we quit haggling over, ‘who gets how much space for what’ in the new pole barn and actually break ground. ;)


8 posted on 07/19/2017 12:08:35 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

Having had the very same arguments with Mrs. Augie, and endured the repercussions of our decisions, I will strongly recommend that if your purposes for a new building are at odds with your SO... don’t try to share one - neither of you will be happy with the outcome.


9 posted on 07/19/2017 12:46:38 PM PDT by Augie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Augie

Oh, we’re not scrappin’ THAT badly over it. I just want to make sure I have both ends - one for an attached greenhouse, the other that can have a chicken run off of it, a home for the fur rabbits and maybe a goat or two. He can have the middle for his workshop and a bay for car/truck/tractor/Bobcat repairs.

BUT - if we cannot reach detente, I will contact you and you can join MY side in the negotiations. ;)


10 posted on 07/19/2017 1:26:00 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

Um... yeah... you guys need two buildings. LOL


11 posted on 07/19/2017 2:02:47 PM PDT by Augie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

Friend of mine saved all of his dog’s cast off hair, cleaned it, and spun it into yarn. He said the end product was the warmest socks he ever had.


12 posted on 07/19/2017 2:09:21 PM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Hillarys Gate Cult

“Friend of mine saved all of his dog’s cast off hair, cleaned it, and spun it into yarn. He said the end product was the warmest socks he ever had.”

Seems like they would be too RUFF!


13 posted on 07/19/2017 2:13:09 PM PDT by Clay Moore
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin
I sure wish there was a Black Market for dog & cat hair. I’d be rich, rich, RICH!

OMG! Let me get the broom! I have a black Lab that, well, she doesn't even know what a gold mine she is! LOL! ;)

14 posted on 07/19/2017 6:23:03 PM PDT by proud American in Canada ( God Bless America (Trump: I will bear the slings and arrows for you, the American people))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Clay Moore

I flea from puns like that.


15 posted on 07/20/2017 4:07:21 PM PDT by j.havenfarm
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: fieldmarshaldj; NFHale; GOPsterinMA; sickoflibs; stephenjohnbanker; KC_Lion
South African farmer John Hume says each of his 1,500 rhinos has 12 acres of land in which to run around

Wow, Lindsay Graham would just love that.

16 posted on 07/21/2017 1:09:46 AM PDT by Impy (End the kritarchy!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Impy; fieldmarshaldj; GOPsterinMA; sickoflibs; stephenjohnbanker; KC_Lion

“...each of his 1,500 rhinos...”

Damn... and I thought having three dogs was a lot...


17 posted on 07/21/2017 12:02:28 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
Scream Of The Vegetables
18 posted on 07/21/2017 12:09:13 PM PDT by yuleeyahoo (Those are my principles, and if you do not like them...well I have others. - Groucho Marx)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson