Endangered species

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“More animals and plants than ever before are on the brink of extinction or are threatened with catastrophic population crashes, a survey of endangered species shows.
One in four of the world’s mammal species, one in eight bird species, a third of amphibians’ and more than two thirds of those plant species that have been assessed are under threat of extinction.
The findings were described as “a wake-up” call and have prompted a demand for action to protect wildlife amid warnings that the rate at which they are being lost is increasing.
The total number of animal and plant species categorized as under threat on the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Red List for 2007 is 16,306, an increase of 188 on last year.
The number that have died out rose by one with the woolly-stalked begonia plant, which was last seen in 1898, being declared officially extinct.
Its demise increased the number of extinct species to 785 with a further 65 surviving only because they are being kept in captivity or under cultivation.”

In different papers and news services it is announced that the number of endangered species is increasing. The news in quotation marks above is from the Times of London, as a typical exponent of the establishment press. I pose one question, why should we have to worry? Nobody gives a clear answer to this question: given that personally I think that we have to worry I am very unhappy about the vagueness of the conservationists’ motivations. Because parrots are beautiful? Because gorillas are nice? Because alligators are funny? I have my little dog at my feet and happy of that. But why? I thing there is only one answer for me and I will be drastic and short: because animal life is what on the planet is closest to what we usually call God, and we humans are what is farthest from what we pretend to call God. This answer was given by Gregory Bateson thirty yeas ago and millennia ago by the author of the Book of Job.


parakeet in danger

The spirit who bideth by himself
In the land of mist and snow,
He loved the bird that loved the man
Who shot him with his bow.'

The other was a softer voice,
As soft as honey-dew :
Quoth he, `The man hath penance done,
And penance more will do.'

S.M.Coleridge, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

Because ecosystems are complex, and removing one aspect of an ecosystem can have unexpected knockon effects for the rest of the planet. Let's take, as an example, algae. You've probably read about algae blooms in various areas of the oceans. These are often caused by the runoff of nitrogen based fertilizers from industrial agriculture (it's a particular problem in the gulf of mexico). What happens? Well, the algae love this nitrogen, they gobble it up, and in the process use up much of the oxygen in the sea. Without the oxygen, small fish and crustasions die, they suffocate because of the lack of oxygen. Then larger fish also starve and die, because there are no smaller fish for them to feed on. The larger fish are, incidentally, also the ones we tend to like to eat. So the fishery collapses, and incidentally, large numbers of seabirds also start dying off because they now have no fish to eat (this happened off the coast of Oregon last year, they were getting fish and dead seabirds washing up on the beaches, not a good thing). Given a bit of time, you could probably find out the consequences of seabirds dying off - there will be some - and on, and on it goes. This is just one example. A small thing can set off a cascade of unexpected events. Sure, many of these species dieoffs won't have any major knockon effects, but we don't know which ones will be devastating to the wider environment 'til they happen.

It makes me so sad, the fact that there are so many animals disappearing...it's as if we humans feel we are entitled to the whole world, and animals don't really have a right to exist except for our benefit or amusement.

I heard one scientist on the radio the other day talking about this and saying that it's not really that important to save endangered species so long as their DNA can be stored. (so they can be recreated in future and presumably put in a freak show for people to see) But their habitats will no longer exist so they won't be able to live naturally. It's so sad,mad,bad.