44 Are you among the supporters of or the protesters against whaling? No big judgements can be made based on this only information. Hence, give the discussion the status of a pure language exercise. So, which circumstances will outweigh in making the decision? Share your opinions as a class.
| AGAINST WHALING
| FOR WHALING
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| 1. Once we have committed ourselves to rescue the whale, we have to be consistent and see this cause through to the end.
| a) Humans cannot survive entirely outside their established food chains. Therefore, sustained whaling can be allowed. We eat meat and whale is the only variety up there.
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| 2. Whale meat is not a necessity of life. People can well do without it.
| b) Lofoteners have lived there for generations. This is a way of life and an entire culture. We can't rule over those people.
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| 3. Most environmental disasters are explained by "stark economic necessity". There are solutions.
| c) The Norwegian whaling fleet is too small to cause discernible damage to global whale populations.
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| 4. Social and economic development does sometimes require entire regions and nations to reorientate their economies.
| d) Whaling is a macho job for courageous people. They won't find themselves a matching substitute.
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| 5. The international community, governments and environmental organisations can find funds for relocation of the islanders and their new job placement on the mainland.
| e) The situation is less dramatic. Environmental organisations have purposefully created the boom to reap from it.
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| 6. Whale hunting can be replaced by aqua farming. This won't affect the marine wildlife.
| f) Whales are just another wildlife species of the many that are ably and controllably hunted around the world.
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| 7. Again, whale-hunting can be replaced by whale watching for tourists and earn comparable income. It's more environment-friendly.
| g) Banning whaling will create unemployment and broken destinies.
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| 8. Whaling is an embarrassing circumstance for Norwegian diplomacy.
| h) Islanders have no immunity for various diseases, which are endemic in the bacteria-ridden “south”.
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45 Write a summary of the class discussion on the appropriateness of whaling nowadays.
