One fish, no fish

The oceans are dying and the fish are disappearing. Why? Pollution and overfishing. Per the Washington Post:

An international group of ecologists and economists warned yesterday that the world will run out of seafood by 2048 if steep declines in marine species continue at current rates, based on a four-year study of catch data and the effects of fisheries collapses.

The paper, published in the journal Science, concludes that overfishing, pollution and other environmental factors are wiping out important species around the globe, hampering the ocean's ability to produce seafood, filter nutrients and resist the spread of disease.

Some scientists disagree with the severity of the extrapolation, and others point out that where fishing limits and other sorts of fisheries management have been implemented, species have rebounded, so it's not yet too late to reverse the trend. But that, of course, depends on whether regulations to protect fisheries are enacted and then enforced.

So perhaps we'd best elect representatives who have an understanding that environmentalism isn't some wacko anti-job conspiracy, but is about saving our collective butts from mondo expense, misery, starvation, and catastrophe. Environmentalism, dear Don, is about protecting our health, safety, and livelihoods, not to mention the survival of our children and grandchildren.