It’s obviously good news that with the birth of J53 – the sixth orca calf to be born in the last 11 months — the Southern resident orca population has soared to 83. Way to go, whales!

So how come, during the past few years, we’ve all been told again and again – and again – that our environment is deteriorating so fast the poor orcas probably wouldn’t be around much longer? Nothing – absolutely nothing – I’ve read has even suggested that perhaps the orca population rises and falls over the years and decades, and that human activity has nothing much to do with it.

Will those who’ve been predicting doom – who’ve been telling us incessantly that the worst thing that ever happened to our planet is humanity – now back off just a bit? I doubt it.

In the months and years ahead, as we’re constantly clobbered by reports about our environment heading for climate catastrophe, let’s remind ourselves that these prophets of doom aren’t always right, sometimes exaggerate – and would rather scare us to death than show even a hint of optimism.

Sometimes, things really do get better. Don’t take my word for it. Just ask J53.

Herb Meyer

San Juan Island