We otter do better with birth control

 

“Weaker Penis Bones in River Otters Linked to Oil Sands Contaminants" – CBC News, Nov., 2020

Does the oil industry hold the secret to human over-population control?

In case you weren't aware: the male river otter's penis bone is long, curvy and slender. Daintily referred to as a “baculum”, it has become even daintier in Canadian otters thanks to contaminants produced by Canada's oil sands industry. Noting that otters living close to sites of fossil fuel extraction have the most brittle penis bones, resulting in smaller otter families, scientists see a clue to solving human over-population – almost eight billion – which is a greater threat to the planet than are fossil fuels.

Some biologists are concerned about otters' (family Lutrinae) reproductive success, while others are interested in human contraceptive success. Entrepreneurs are looking at ways to market the softening oily by-products to humans who prefer chemical to surgical birth control (vasectomy).

“Snake oil,” respond researchers, when asked about this marketing initiative.

“Greasy anti-life opportunists,” accuses the Catholic church, stiffening its opposition.

“Fossil Age thinking by the pope,” respond pro-choicers.

Oil sands extraction will continue to fuel controversy. As for the human overpopulation crisis, most conservationists agree “we otter do better”.

 

 

 

Media Obsession With Mental Illness is Driving Us Insane

Public health, university and non-profit "experts" continually tell us how depressed we are -- which makes us depressed. The possibility of suicide is waiting around every corner, they imply. After hearing constantly repeated media warnings about an imminent worldwide nervous break-down, no one wants to be left out. An induced demand for inclusion is created -- and demand for more government services. 

For media outlets, mass anxiety captures followers. It gives the depression industry something to be interviewed on talk shows about. If you're not depressed, the talkers imply, it's because you're suffering delusions of mental wellness. Everyone needs therapy, government-financed.

Actually, you can be sad and well. Sensible reasons for depression do exist. Acknowledging them is not "illness", it's realism. There are real disasters (just google "Afghanistan", "Ukraine", "Myanmar", "Brazilian rainforest" … and that's only this week's horrors). Acknowledging them is not a sign of illness, it's a sign of being awake. 

Mental health means building mental hardiness -- the emotional maturity to deal with bad realities. Mental health advocates who chip away at resilience by telling everyone they are traumatized, dependent and unable to cope, are not helping. In British Columbia these advocates demand free mental health services in a province that doesn't even have free dental care or free birth control. Researchers and practitioners don't even agree on what the definition of "mental health" would be, but we know what healthy teeth are. We know whether we're in the midst of an unwanted pregnancy or not.

Rotting teeth and unwanted pregnancy themselves cause depression for any normal person. Let's put the health care dollar into things we can fix, before we get hypnotized by that favourite media question, "how do you cope with stress?" Having publicly-funded dentistry and contraception when your own income is too low to afford those things would be one way to cope. Who wouldn't be depressed, with abscessed teeth? Only a mad person.

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