Meanwhile, in my old stomping grounds of Butte, MT, the mess left by rampant, unfettered capitalism continues to inflict its damage.
WaPo: Thousands of Montana snow geese die...
For years, I lived near “The Pit” and would often hear the blasts of various noise-makers in attempts to keep geese from landing in a spot that most likely would result in their death. We used to talk of the great ‘95 overnight landing that caused some 350 geese to die (Perils of The Pit) but this latest event dwarfs that by a huge amount. It is all sad and frustrating. For decades the Big Copper companies sucked the profits from the earth and then walked away leaving a savage, poisoned scar in an otherwise beautiful landscape.
Stand in Uptown Butte and look south. Catch your breath:
Now turn and peer a half mile or so to the East. Hold your nose:
It’s hard to imagine the size and magnitude of “The Pit” without actually being there and seeing it directly. One thing to be sure of is that geese notice it and see it as a nice place to land and rest. Unfortunately, they are very wrong in that assessment.
The history of “Butte, America” is crazy and wonderful and much of it makes me proud to have been able to live there and have enjoyed the land and the people. At other times, as I noted earlier, it just leaves me sad and frustrated.