Kenya burns ivory worth £68m

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ing-trade.html

Ivory from 7,000 dead elephants goes up in smoke: Kenya stages largest tusk bonfire in history burning £68MILLION worth of illegal goods in a bid to stamp out poaching trade

Officials in Kenya have sent millions of pounds worth of ivory up in flames in a bid to stamp out the illegal wildlife trade and the slaughter of thousands of elephants every year. Some ten towering piles - or £68 million ($100m) dollars worth - of ivory was incinerated in Kenya's Nairobi National Park today, in what was the largest ivory burn in history.

Compiled from the tusks of some 7,000 dead elephants, 105 tonnes of ivory smouldered as Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta condemned the illegal ivory trade which is decimating the elephant population across the African continent. Lighting the fire in Nairobi's national park, the president demanded a total ban on trade in ivory to end the 'murderous' trafficking and prevent the extinction of elephants in the wild.

'No one has any business trading in ivory,' said Kenyatta, addressing the huge crowds gathered in the muddy fields at the burn. He added: 'This trade means death. The death of our elephants, and the death of our natural heritage.' Kenya's ivory burn follows a steep rise in poaching across Africa in recent years. With estimates of one elephant being killed every 15 minutes, the species currently faces extinction within the next 10 years.

Celebrities including Sex and the City actress Kirstin Davies attended the event to show support for the burn and the all-out ban on illegal ivory Kenya is calling for.

Now what I am about to comment on this requires engaging some brain cells and not simply following your feelings.

Not only is this a waste of a precious resource whether you agree with poaching, limited poaching or not - it is also going to increase poaching. Why? Because by destroying such a quantity you're creating a shortage in the market which will push up the price of ivory and thus mean an increase in hunting and poaching because the financial incentive is even greater than before. Nice going from the do-gooders and just as I thought of writing that this would require engagement with the brain I see... da da da!!!!!! a Sex and the City actress attended the event.

Thoughts?

[RuthOnToast]

Not gonna lie when i first saw this i thought it was kenya west who did this.

But this can't be good for the environment? and isn't it a bit of a waste? Obviously i think its vile killing the poor creatures for money but i dont see how this is helping the stop it surly their going to be mad they burnt it all and just go off and kill more to make up for it

[FlyingJesus]

How cool are those towers I want one

[AgnesIO]

Now what I am about to comment on this requires engaging some brain cells and not simply following your feelings.

Not only is this a waste of a precious resource whether you agree with poaching, limited poaching or not - it is also going to increase poaching. Why? Because by destroying such a quantity you're creating a shortage in the market which will push up the price of ivory and thus mean an increase in hunting and poaching because the financial incentive is even greater than before. Nice going from the do-gooders and just as I thought of writing that this would require engagement with the brain I see... da da da!!!!!! a Sex and the City actress attended the event.

I like how you make out as if this is your own minority thought process, despite already being amplified by a large number of leading experts on the topic. It isn't always your view vs the rest of the world, Dan.