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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steve Arlow" data-source="post: 1685546" data-attributes="member: 52292">If the bird was clearly stuck in ice then there is no harm in breaking the ice so it can move freely and continue to feed and perhaps live a long and prosperous life. However if it then subsequently dies after being broken free of ice due to ongoing extreme weather conditions, predation etc then so be it, we have no control over that at all but I would rather give it a fighting chance, it deserves a chance at ongoing life rather than an uncertain chance if we left it alone. If we can give it that chance then we should and I, in all good concience, certainly would. Perhaps yes I would get satisfaction out of helping the bird but not because I've done a good deed so I must feel better about myself but because I've helped something unfortunate continue its existance. We as human being have the ability to do the right thing and the wrong thing, make choices that lead to another creatures ongoing existance or not. If we do something good and we feel better about ourselves this leads to doing more good things, conservation perhaps and who would argue that conservation is wrong because its not natural. Many things that need conservation are because humans have done something to put it in jeapody in the first place. Doing nothing means just that, doing nothing but by doing something positive we are making a difference to something somewhere and that is a good thing.Those that would do nothing in the guise of Natural Selection, everything dies, it happens in nature etc would be singing a different song if it were they stuck in the ice and there was someone else who could do something about, but didn't. They wouldn't want to kark it stuck in the ice safe in the knowledge of 'it was natures way', they'd want out. The difference is that we can call for help.</blockquote>

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