'Death sentence': butterfly sanctuary to be bulldozed for Trump's border wall

[turbinetree]

More than 200 species make their homes at America’s most diverse sanctuary, but construction through the reserve could begin in February

On any given day at the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, visitors can to see more than 60 varieties of butterflies. In the spring and fall, monarchs and other species can blanket the center’s 100 acres of subtropical bushlands that extend from the visitor center to to the banks of the Rio Grande river, where their property, and US sovereignty, end.

“It’s like something from Fantasia,” said the center’s director, Marianna Wright. “When you walk you have to cover your mouth so you don’t suck in a butterfly.”

Today the most diverse butterfly sanctuary in the country, and other protected areas in the lower Rio Grande Valley along the US-Mexico border, are under threat. Last week, the US supreme court issued a ruling allowing the Trump administration to waive 28 federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Air Act, and begin construction on 33 new miles of border wall in the heart of the valley – and right through the butterfly center.

“Environmental tourism contributes more than $450m to Hidalgo and Starr counties,” said Wright, referring to the adjacent counties in the valley. “Many of the properties people choose to visit to see birds, butterflies and threatened and endangered species are all going to be behind the border wall. For us, the economic impact is potentially catastrophic.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/13/butterfly-sanctuary-border-wall-mission-texas

[no_hypocrisy]

1. "Trump's Wall" is reminiscent of McCaig's Folly in Oban, Scotland

Built for sheer vanity, with no utility or benefit to anyone but for one person. One purpose now: a mockery.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCaig%27s_Tower




Now for Trump's vanity an irreplaceable nature preserve will be destroyed and replaced with brute ugliness.

[Farmer-Rick]

6. And you can't even drink at the tower.

Though why do they call it a tower when it's more like a rotunda or .......wall.

[oasis]

2. Trump is nothing less than a colossal plague. nt

[Vinca]

3. He destroys everything that is good.

[Javaman]

4. paved over paradise to put in a parking lot. nt

[pazzyanne]

5. The truly sad part of this is that we won't be able to "fix" it

when he leaves office. What a crying shame that the POS has no humanity and only lives to stack up ill-gotten $$$.

[TeapotInATempest]

7. You're right; there are some things he's doing that we'll never be able to fix.

He and his cronies aren't happy unless they're destroying something good. (See also: shooting hibernating bears and their cubs for no good reason and shooting wolves from planes.)

This is very, very depressing to me. I do my best to protect the fragile things of the world but it feels like there is little I can do to make up for what these idiots are doing on a daily basis.

I'm not religious, but I swear I hope there's a hell and they burn in it someday.

[Blue Owl]

8. He's too stupid to understand how loathsome he truly is

He needs to be stopped, NOW!