Conserving Greed

I was very shocked to read how the Nature Conservancy handled Mobil Oil's generous land donation. From the Washington Post article titled, "How a Bid to Save a Species Came to Grief," it seemed like saving Attwater's prairie chicken was a second thought to the possible profits made from drilling. I can't understand any argument that says drilling is in line with nature conservancy.

If that wasn't enough, the Nature Conservancy stole and sold gas that wasn't even theirs. "Soon the Conservancy was selling gas owned by all the rights holders on the south and north tracts." Perhaps one of the final blows was the Nature Conservancy's responsibility in the death of more birds in what I consider a ridiculous oversight. "I was shocked to find, for example, that one of the release pens is subject to flooding in heavy rains, and that birds have drowned in the pen." How could the Nature Conservancy overlook that?

Yet after all the lawsuits and embarrassment, they still continue to pump gas from Texas City. How can a non-profit whose sole mission is to preserve land to protect species get away with these kind of practices and continue damaging this fragile environment? What does Mobil Oil have to say about what is happening to their donation and wish to protect this endangered species?