I refuse to wallow in despair. I firmly believe that human beings are sensible enough not to destroy their own life-support systems. But I have to admit, sometimes there's a spate of news that makes me wonder. It wiped out fish farms in a matter of hours, leaving thousands of tons of rotting fish.
Scientists say it was caused by warm ocean temperatures and runoff from fertilizers and sewage.
China responded not by controlling fertilizers and sewage, but by setting up a satellite-based early warning system. In the United States 29 percent of all higher plants are threatened. Normally scattered through the understory of rainforests, cacao is not happy in plantations. In spite of heavy applications of fertilizers and pesticides, it keeps getting diseases. The standard response has been to clear more rainforest and start new plantations.