Does environmentalism sound fishy to you?

Linda Sappenfield — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Name the trend--Hunger Games, Downton Abbey, cupcakes, social networking, recycling and eco-friendly lifestyle, financial education for kids, apps, eBooks--and you can count on us to offer enlightening resources. We know that our customers will be hungering for a full accounting.

But not for lionfish.

The ad for The Lionfish Cookbook in my husband's scuba magazine describes this entree's role in the invasivore movement.   "Eat ‘em to beat ‘em": that's the slogan of those seeking to manage invasive species by consuming them, as this New York Times article explains.

Conservation magazine explores implications of this approach, and others warn that extreme caution must be exercised during the sea-to-sushi process. Still, diners with open minds are in for a pleasant surprise: lionfish are allegedly delicious.    Freed from the guilt associated with fattening and non-nutritious foods, lionfish consumers may derive satisfaction from having joined NOAA, The Nature Conservancy, REEF, and other concerned groups in eradicating an aquatic predator currently threatening reef fish populations.

And just imagine the product possibilities as this delicacy is embraced by the masses: Shake ‘n Bake for Lionfish, lionfish noodle casserole, the inevitable new artery-clogging taste sensation at the State Fair of Texas, perhaps a takeout run for some KFL.

Added to the obvious appeal of fork-as-weapon, the lionfish trend affords this attraction that we Americans seem to crave: focus.   Blessed with hundreds of opportunities to use our powers for good, along with thousands of products up for purchase, we are inundated with choices. When a new option incorporates meal selection and world-bettering action, who wouldn't consider it?

Based on checkout figures for home improvement and DIY resources, I suspect that most library patrons (like me) operate more comfortably with challenges involving limits--e.g., budget--anyway. We embrace makeover projects on battered cabinetry or furnishings armed with only hand tools and paint. How empowering it feels to achieve multiple goals: repurposing, cost-saving, aesthetic enhancement.

Books like Upcycling: Create Beautiful Things with the Stuff You Already Have, along with HGTV (whose slogan should probably be "Spray Paint is Your Friend"), and the online resource Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center are proven successes here in Round Rock. Perhaps lionfish will catch on, too.

To make your world (and city) a better place, cardholders can request purchase of The Lionfish Cookbook, recipe guides centered on non-venomous edibles, or many other resources to guide your current path of exploration.

Reader's Exchange : invasivore

Does environmentalism sound fishy to you?