Sweet animal news and lousy human news

From Harper’s Findings, January 2019:

Orangutans spontaneously create hooked tools.

An Irish swan grieving the death of his mate was stopping cars to rest his head on their hoods.

Back when I was singing art songs, I learned the 1612 “The Silver Swan,” lyrics by Orlando Gibbon, music by not entirely sure. From this came the expression “swan song”:

The silver swan who, living, had no note,
when death approached, unlocked her silent throat.

Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,
thus sung her first and last, and sung no more:

“Farewell all joys, O death come close mine eyes.
More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise.”

Lovely tune, too. I’m humming it as I type.

But then we get to un-lovely news about mammals, some of which may be us:

Mammals cannot out-evolve the current mass extinction.

“Current mass extinction”???? Wait — current?? When did we start this? Why didn’t somebody tell me?

And then the thoroughly horrendous news how our current eating habits will send us all into deadly danger, SWOOP YIKES:

A study in Nature concluded that a lack of change in human diet will drive Earth “beyond the planetary boundaries that define a safe operating space for humanity.”

I just ate some pumpernickel, lox, tofu veggie spread and V8 juice. I’m doing my own best to keep Earth within the safe operating space for all of us.

Are you on board?

What are you eating for dinner?

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