U.S. Government Destroys One Ton of Ivory at Times Square
"Crushing Ivory in Times Square--literally at the crossroads of the world--says in the clearest terms that the U.S. is serious about closing its illegal ivory markets and stopping the demand."
In a demonstration being publicized as the "Ivory Crush," United States Government officials destroyed over one ton of confiscated ivory in New York City's Times Square. John Calvelli with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), one of the orchestrating partners for the Ivory Crush, says Times Square is the perfect place to win the elephant crisis the attention it deserves. The ultimate goal: to stop the illegal poaching of elephants, the sale of their parts and the demand for ivory.
According to the WCS, 96 elephants are killed by poachers every day. Elephant poaching has long been thought of amongst criminals as a "low-risk high-reward" enterpise. New York State Congressman Steve Israel says elephant poaching provides an 8 to 19 billion dollar market for terrorist organizations. Israel says ending the bloody ivory market is not only moral, it's smart--in that it stops the cash flow to terrorist organizations.
The United States is one of 13 nations that crush ivory to send a message to elephant poachers: the illegal trade of ivory will not be tolerated. By pulverizing confiscated tusks with a glorified woodchipper, lawmakers and advocates hope to show that ivory will be worth nothing once it's been separated from living elephants.
As the WCS's John Calvelli told federal and state lawmakers, wildlife advocates, celebrities and other participants at New York's Ivory Crush, "Crushing Ivory in Times Square--literally at the crossroads of the world--says in the clearest terms that the U.S. is serious about closing its illegal ivory markets and stopping the demand."
Peter Lehner with New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation (NRDC) shed light on the fact that New York City was the epicenter for the illegal ivory market until recent efforts by the state and federal government to crack down on the deadly trade.
Proponents of Ivory Crushes hope to eradicate the bloody ivory market by destroying illegal ivory. They say without the demand for ivory, the dwindling population of African Elphants--currently about 400,000--would be given a chance to rejuvenate.
Opponents counter that destroying ivory goods only makes them more rare, and further increases their value.
The WCS says galvanizing public opinion to put a stigma on the trade of bloody ivory aims at the root of the problem--the desire for ivory goods.
