Just when you thought Miley was done with the drama, she went and created a new mess to step into.
Earlier this week, she posted herself hanging out in a floral bodysuit, posing next to (and in) a tree.
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The issue? Those are Joshua Trees. And they’re carefully protected for a reason: they’re in grave danger of dying out.
The drama
To understand why people are so mad at Miley, it’s important to clarify why Joshua Trees are so sacred: they’re incredibly rare!
These desert trees only grow in North America, with only a small amount found in Joshua Tree National Park.
Joshua Trees are a protected species
In fact, they’ve been protected since 1908.
See, Joshua Trees are under extreme threat from climate change. It’s predicted that 90% of them will be wiped out by the end of the 21st century.
So we have to keep them safe
It’s on us to try and preserve our planet.
While some commenters on Miley’s post have exaggerated the situation (it’s not against the law to touch the trees), it’s definitely a big no-no to climb on them.
Joshua Trees aren’t meant to be climbed
Unlike regular trees, Joshua trees have relatively shallow root systems.
That means that they’re more fragile than the ones we’re used to, and climbing them can actually damage them.
I guess Miley didn’t do her research before visiting the park, huh?
Some fans have started a petition against Miley
So, having seen and learned that climbing=bad, it’s no wonder that people are calling on Miley to do something.
One person decided to set up a petition asking Miley to delete the pictures from her Instagram.
The petition lays out recent damages to the park
During the 2018-2019 US government shutdown, three Joshua Trees were destroyed in the park.
That number was lower than initial media reports, but it’s still a significant loss to the park’s numbers.
Those trees are irreplaceable in our lifetime
As the petition claims, the growth rate of the Joshua Trees is so slow that we will never live to see the new seedlings fully mature.
Each tree could take up to 300 years to regrow.
The petition drags Miley through the mud
Commenting on her post’s caption, “Looking down on the drama like…
They pointed out the danger of over-popularizing the trees
“Not only could she have damaged one of the protected trees, but as an influencer, her post could easily encourage others to do the same thing — leaving Joshua Tree at the mercy of the masses.”
They cite the damage done to the California poppy as an example of Instagram tourists.
And they’re calling on Miley to be a responsible influencer
“One influencer post can make or break businesses and it can do the same when it comes to our natural world.
The followed and the famous must act responsibly when sharing content with their fans because one simple photo could encourage thousands to follow in their footsteps, with serious consequences.”
In closing, they want Miley to delete her pictures
As a famous person, they want Miley to use her platform for good.
“Miley Cyrus should take down her irresponsible post, apologize to her fans and the National Park Service and make a donation to a Joshua Tree conservation organization.”
And a lot of people agree
As of this writing, over 13,000 people have signed the petition demanding Miley delete her posts.
Unfortunately, it looks like Miley may not be interested in hearing from the general public on the issue.
She turned off comments on her posts, and then *finally* deleted the photos.
It only took her days and days of putting up with harsh criticisms.
Luckily, we still have Twitter
There’s no turning off replies on Twitter without deleting the entire tweet (which she hasn’t done yet).
Since that’s the petition’s goal, it seems like a win/win situation for everyone, doesn’t it? Things to think about.
Even though she took the photo down, we don’t know if she’ll be making a donation or not.
If you’d like her to do so, you can still sign the petition here.
If you don’t think it’s that big a deal, feel free to save that applicable gif.
It’s ideal for future use on social media. You’re welcome.
