The Overlooked Anniversary: 40 Years Ago Congress and the President Called for a Steady State Economy

[Melanie Colón]

You read that right. Pursuant to an act of the 93rd Congress, President Richard M. Nixon signed into law the establishment of a steady state economy. That law was called the Endangered Species Act.

Technically it's true that we are closer to the ESA's 41st anniversary (Nixon signed it on December 28, 1973), but to say we are still within the 40th anniversary of ESA is good enough for government work. Plus it seems more befitting when 2014 happens to be the 100th anniversary of the passing of the passenger pigeon. Martha, the last known passenger pigeon, died at the Cincinnati Zoo on September 1, 1914.

Too bad the passenger pigeon didn't have the "opportunity" to be listed as endangered pursuant to the ESA. It would have been protected and it may have survived, if only on life support. The American economy wouldn't have left it a lot of room; rather, just enough.

 

For more see: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-czech/the-overlooked-anniversar_b_5646056.html#es_share_ended