“Welcome back to the championship round of Ultimate Jenga, or what some have called the final exam for humankind.  This is Dewey Wastemore with the play-by-play along with color-commentator YaNeeda Saveit. 

       “And quite a game it’s been, YaNeeda!  Over 350 years of grueling competition starting back with the birth of mercantilism.  Remember, that’s the economic theory that encourages continual growth, the exploitation of resources, and the accumulation of wealth.  Now centuries later, six finalists remain: the twins – Norm Amarrickah and Seth Amarrickah,
Al Frica, Ollie Stralia, A. Sheeahh, and Uri Uppe.

       “Let’s review the rules YaNeeda.  In the popular Jenga home game, wooden pegs are stacked making a tall tower.  Contestants remove the blocks one-by-one and restack them on top, building the tower higher and higher.  But BE CAREFUL!   Because if your move causes the tower to collapse, YOU LOSE!

       “Now, in Ultimate Jenga, the building blocks aren’t wooden pegs.  They include a variety of resources like fertile top soil and clean air and water, healthy rainforests, and vibrant wildlife preserves.  When a contestant removes a block from the base of the Earthtower that resource-block converts into consumer goods.  Those goods are placed at the top making life more comfortable and convenient for that contestant.

       “How do you see this match shaping up YaNeeda?”  “Well Dewey, I gotta say, that is SOME tower!  In 350 years life has improved immeasurably for these finalists.  But some analysts are beginning to wonder if this pace can be maintained indefinitely.  And the big question on everyone’s mind - Will the Earthtower hold?  How many foundation blocks can be removed before…but look, play is about to resume.  Let’s see if Norm Amarrickah can hold on to the comfortable lead he leveraged 100 years ago.” 

       That night, several coaches were seen circling the base of the Earthtower, their flashlight beams probing for signs of weakness.  Rumors were beginning to circulate that some contestants might drop out or even recycle some of the top tower pieces to shore up cracks in the base.  One coach was heard to say, “Even if it’s not my player that causes the collapse, once someone slips up and the tower goes, we all go down with it.  Then where will we play?  This is the only game in town.  We’re here forever… Earth(tower)bound.”  (Exciting “World Cup” Conclusion Next Time!)

       Barney Owl called the convention to order.  “Birds of a feather, we’re here to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.  By that landmark legislation, humankind formally recognized the inherent value of the 10,000 avian species with whom they share Planet Earth.”  A cheer and a flurry of feathers flew from the crowd!

       You see, birds recognize their special, yet delicate relationship with humankind.  For most people, birds are THE wild species they interact with most often.  If one pays attention at all, it’s hard to pass a day without taking notice of at least one bird variety or another.  In many ways humankind’s relationship to the avian kingdom is a microcosm of its relationship to the natural world as a whole.  It’s that old “canary in the coal mine” thing.  Bird population health is a gauge of ecosystem (and human) health.  Losing the bird(s) is a sign of danger to all.

       And a precarious relationship it is.  As we humans become more and more successful at exploiting the most remote regions of this planet, birds often pay the price.  Human expansion has driven nearly 200 species to extinction.  Hundreds more are listed as critically endangered.

       After Barney wrapped up his remarks, several workshops were offered.  Rufous Hummingbird attended a sobering talk on expanding avian threats including agriculture & logging, hunting & trapping, and commercial & residential development.  Pinky Flamingo gave a presentation about positive trends in rainforest conservation, grassland preserves, backyard habitat development and bird feeding.  The largest crowd gathered to hear Baldy Eagle describe efforts to rein in the “loose cat” population and the need for more feral feline neutering programs. 

       That evening Scarlet Tanager gave a moving and hopeful keynote address.  “We know that humans are and must be our allies if we are to survive as a species.  In many ways, we exemplify the very soul of humankind.  It’s a soul that values beauty, diversity, and environmental balance.  Quoting author Jonathan Franzen, ‘Taken all together, the flight paths of birds bind the planet together like100 billion filaments, tree to tree and continent to continent.’ 

       “May efforts to preserve our species be a catalyst that binds the people of the world together.  Because, after all, this is our only home. We and the humans are here forever… Earthbound.”

       Les and Anita Dewoveur aren’t afraid to try new things, sometimes with rather strange results.  Consider last year’s Batman-themed holiday decorations. The kids refused to go near the black-lit tree’s blood red tinsel and bat-winged angel. “No problem,” Anita Dewoveur said, “we’ll just do it differently next year.” This year’s tree looks like a painting straight out of Currier & Ives. 

       Then there was the time that Les suggested they could save a lot of money if he cut and permed Anita’s hair instead of paying a beautician.  The poodle-with-a-paw-stuck-in-the-light-socket look caused Gladys, the neighbor lady, to faint.  “No worries; it’ll grow out again,” Anita generously commented, relieving Les from spending a night in the dog house.

       Recently, on the evening weather report they heard that 2017 will likely be among the three warmest years on global record, according to the World Meteorological Organization, right behind 2016 and 2015.  Les and Anita hadn’t paid much attention to this climate change thing and mostly thought it was a bunch of hooey.  “So what if it gets warmer for a while?  At some point it’ll swing back the other way, and we’ll get a do-over,” Les commented adding ice to his drink.

       But as he swirled those cubes around in his glass and watched them slowly melt he thought about the record number of icebergs that are calving off the ice shelves at the poles and the resulting sea level rise.  Once the ice in his glass has diluted his scotch, it won’t re-solidify even if he takes his glass out into the winter weather. 

       Then he remembered that his mother-in-law’s condo in Fort Lauderdale sits just a few feet above sea level.  Most residents in that city already live in or close to a special flood hazard area.  A rising ocean will increase that hazard.  Once permanently flooded land is gone and the infra-structure is destroyed, they won’t magically reappear even if temperatures were to drop back to normal. 

       “Golly, I hadn’t thought about it, but with this climate change thing there’s no chance for a re-do. If we lose many of the Wisconsin plants and animals that thrive in the current conditions, we’ll lose the place we love.  Something else will take its place.   I’d rather hold on to what we’ve got – our beautiful homeland where we’re forever… Earthbound.”