Scuzzbuckets of New York

This is cold, just freaking sickeningly cold:


State of New York is planning to massacre approximately 170,000 Canada geese, as part of a strategy to increase the safety of passenger aircraft. The Times quotes the Department of Agriculture as approving of the plan, with an official stating that the state is "leading the way." The geese would be put in crates, gassed, and buried.

In New York City, the report says, the current goose population of 20,000 to 25,000 is “five times the amount that most people would find socially acceptable,” suggesting the number would be reduced to about 4,000.

A high-level official of the United States Department of Agriculture who is familiar with the proposal called it a “one-of-a-kind plan.”

“New York is leading the way,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. Plans for other areas, he said, “do not include all the scientific background.”

The plan emerged from five months of meetings that followed the crash-landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after geese flew into its engines and disabled them in January 2009. The plan was completed in summer 2009 but not made public.


People, birds fly into engines ALL THE TIME, all across the world. There are better ways to deter these birds away from aircraft, but what do I know?

I hope those in the decision making process in this situation have horrific experiences with birds. This nauseates me.