A Stitch in Haste

I so love stuff like this:

The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is auctioning off the honor "to name an entire species of monkey" to raise money for its cause. WCS researchers discovered the wee, orange and brown primate -- thought to be a member of the "titi" tribe of monkeys -- in Bolivia's Madidi National Park last year.
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The highest bidder will have the monkey moniker of his choice permanently entered into all future references -- including scientific publications, academic tomes, field guides and other publications that dwell upon monkeys for one reason or another.
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"This is conservation at its most pragmatic," WCS President Steven Sanderson said yesterday. "The auction will give the public a chance to help Bolivia safeguard one of the world's crown jewels for wildlife, reminding us that the future of conservation is on everyone's shoulders."

I'm a staunch believer in the doctrine that, if you want to "save the rainforest," then buy it (or help the indigenous population buy it). If you want to save the Beekman Theater, then buy it. If you want to save the last lime green 1959 Ford Edsel, then buy it.

Several "green" groups have taken this approach in places like the African plains. Conservation International is a leader in the pro-environment-yet-pro-capitalist approach.

Americans privately fund (well, mostly privately fund) most of our great civic institutions with endowments that, to an overwhelming extent, are made possible by capitalism. Environmental (and historic) preservation can often be done -- and to the greatest extent possible should be done -- privately.

Just because capitalism can't solve everything doesn't mean that capitalism can't solve anything. Conversely, just because government sometimes does good things doesn't mean that government always does good things.

The market should always get the first chance. It succeeds far more often than it fails.

FULL DISCLOSURE: For a brief time I was training as a volunteer docent at the Wildlife Conservation Society (a/k/a the Bronx Zoo). I dropped out because the educational aspect, which I was assured would be "challenging," was not. I was also getting a bit tired of the ueber-PC garbage being spewed out by some of the instructors ("this species is just like humans -- when a new male takes over the first thing he does is kill the babies and rape the females"). I can only tolerate so much liberal sociopathy. Still, I love the Bronx Zoo tremendously and if you ever want a top-notch private tour, then I'm your baby-killing, female-raping gay-penguin-watching man for the job.

OPEN THREAD: What would you name the species? It is "orange and brown" and likes to be high up above the ground -- is "Roark's Monkey" too obvious?

Related Posts:
My Day at the Zoo
New York's Embrace of "Reverse-Poletown" -- Part One
A Crime Against Nature...NOT!
Creationists Throw Themselves Into the Grand Canyon