The New York Times has published quite a sensational article ("Call 911 Flowers! Lives are at Risk") describing the "rescue" of a shipment of orchids seized at the border in Miami:
"These unfortunate imports are like people trying to cross the border
illegally," said Dr. Kim E. Tripp, director of the New York Botanical
Garden in the Bronx, where the 1,100 seized orchids were sent. "We drop
everything and try to save them."
Hmmm…. now what is it about this statement that triggers the ol’ "bullshit detector"?
With statements like, "It was a race against time, since some of the plants were dehydrated and near death…", the article makes for dramatic reading. Where’s Bruce Willis when you need him?
The collectors "knew what it was they wanted, and they didn’t care what
they had to do to get it," Mr. Hachadourian said, holding up a
specimen. "They were clear-cutting orchids out of a section of forest,
and the danger is that they might remove an entire species."
Why the cynism? Well, if the orchids were truly wild-collected and shipped illegally, it’s definitely misplaced. But this statement sends up the red flags:
While the shipment’s paperwork said that the orchids were artificially
cultivated, "clearly these were wild orchids," Mr. Thurmond said.
"Clearly"??? Well, perhaps. But when it comes to orchids, I’ve heard too many stories of petty bureaucrats irresponsibly wielding their power over the intricacies of CITES paperwork to take this one at face value. Still, the article makes for a good read, if you’re partial to CNN-style info-tainment.
POLLENATRIX 