The excellent article introduced below is about nature conservation from the human viewpoint. The argument is that the current mass extinction of wild plants and animals has harmful consequences for the future of the human species. It most certainly has, but the author's desire to inform his audience misses its target because it gives a biased view of the problem. The article does not consider the rights of other species. This "homocentric" view of nature assumes that disappearance of other creatures is only important if it endangers humans.
Aldo Leopold and other conservationists realized that this viewpoint is unsustainable. Unless we accept the equality of all Earth's species, including our own, our conservation efforts will always fail. With its runaway enthusiasm for untested proposals, our species will take chances with the lives of other species. Experiments aimed only at benefiting our species, experiments that do not respect the rights of other species, experiments that will sometimes have unforeseen consequences, will gradually nibble away at nature until our ecosystems collapse and wash into the sea (carrying us with it).
Unless we begin to respect the rights of all species, we will exert constant damage on the Earth and ourselves.
"It's an amazing fact that the contemporary world is marked by a growing number of problems that are genuinely global in scope. Some of these problems even have existential implications for the survival of human civilization - yet instead we spend too much time discussing smaller threats, including North Korea, ISIS, Oregon militias and even Sarah Palin. One such problem is anthropogenic climate change - a catastrophe whose effects are anticipated to be "severe," "pervasive" and "irreversible."
"But climate change isn't the only problem of this sort. In fact, for many who spend their lives studying environmental issues, it can be frustrating to see climate change - a highly contentious issue among non-experts, despite a scientific consensus about its reality and causes - dominate the public discussion. The fact is that biodiversity loss constitutes an equally worrisome (albeit related) threat to the future of humanity.
"Consider some cold hard facts. According to the 3rd Global Biodiversity Report (GBO-3), the total population of vertebrates - a broad category that includes mammals, birds, reptiles, sharks, rays and amphibians - living within the tropics declined by a shocking 59% from 1970 to 2006. Take a moment to let this sink in. In only 36 years, more than half of the vertebrate population between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer disappeared."- Read More: , Salon.
