Death by a thousand cuts

Monday, May 2, election day. The environment received little attention from any party (Greens excepted) during the campaign, despite the realities of climate change and species extinction. The bur oak we have lost from our neighbourhood had hardy genes with proven resistance to climate extremes of over 180 years. It is a species well known for its drought tolerance, fire tolerance and resistance to pollution. We need these trees. While acorns and saplings planted from this tree will carry some of these qualities on, the particular genes of this giant are now gone. It was too late in the season to clone the tree with cuttings from the buds, the only way to actually reproduce these very old creatures in all their robustness. Now gone. Gone. Gone. -- Daniel Buckles

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