Who says environmentalists don’t have a sense of humor? To help raise awareness, and concern, about the ongoing efforts of certain industries and their paid lobbyists to persuade Congress to weaken the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Trust (NET) put together a collection of “Critter Carols” for the holidays. The jaunty protest songs, sung to the tunes of popular holiday carols, provide a lighthearted look at a serious environmental issue—and in harmony.
_{Photo courtesy of Matthew Hull}

The Endangered Species Act protects endangered and threatened species, and the ecosystems on which they depend. Signed into law more than 30 years ago, the Endangered Species Act is credited with the recovery of species such as the bald eagle and the gray whale, and with preventing 99 percent of the species listed as either endangered or threatened from becoming extinct.

There are five Critter Carols altogether, from “The Litigation Song” (sung to the tune of “The Dreidel Song”) to “Let Them Die” (sung to the tune of “Let it Snow”). Words to all five songs can be found on the National Environmental Trust website, along with audio links to rousing performances of each Critter Carol, sung by the NET Off-Key Singers.

As an example, I offer my personal favorite of the Critter Carols: “The Lobbyists are Coming to Town.” The words are reprinted below, courtesy of the NET, so you can sing along when you listen to the audio link.

"The Lobbyists Are Coming to Town"
(To the tune of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town")

You better watch out
You really should cry
You better start now
I'm telling you why
The lobbyists are coming to town

They're making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out which species to slice
The lobbyists are coming to town

They log when you are sleeping
They drill when you're awake
They think the law has been no good
But it's good for species sake!

O! You better watch out!
You really should cry
You better start now
I'm telling you why
The lobbyists are coming to town

They graze when you are sleeping
Build strip malls when you're awake
Now's not the time to hibernate
Or they'll seal the species' fate

O! You better watch out!
You really should cry
You better start now
I'm telling you why
The lobbyists are gunning them down