Was reading today this article on the Wall Street Journal. Quite interesting:

Last year, Americans spent $2.6 billion on birdseed. That's more than twice as much as they spent on prepared baby food, and two and a half times as much as they spent on food for needy nations. They shelled out a further $733 million on feeders, houses and baths for birds.

Most people think all that largess helps the birds. But many ornithologists and wildlife biologists say it does very little good -- and even does some harm. Attracting wild birds to feeders spreads disease, aids predators such as house cats, and lures the birds close to houses and roads where tens of millions of them fly into windows and cars. House cats and hawks treat feeders as fast-food outlets, snatching birds from perches or the ground below.

2.6 billion dollars spent on bird seeds. Wow. Talk about waste. Maybe after the people in poor countries have starved to death the birds can take over there... they'll have a lot of space.

Categories: personal
Posted by diego on December 28 2002 at 8:54 PM