Humanity: The Problem
It is clear that humans are to blame for the current extinction crisis. Both Stephen Meyer and E. O. Wilson place the calamity squarely on the shoulders of humanity. Wilson says that “human overpopulation” is a root cause of all the other factors in the loss of biological diversity: “habitat loss,” “invasive species,” “pollution,” and “overharvesting.” Meyer names these same forces in only slightly different terms: “development, agriculture, resource consumption, pollution, and alien species.” The forms of humanity’s impact are many, but the heart of the matter is simple: humans are everywhere. Although Wilson says that Homo sapiens “is a species confined to an extremely small [ecological] niche,” the truth is that humans have proven to be remarkable versatile, colonizing all but the most inhospitable areas of the globe. Most of this adaptability, as Wilson points out, is a matter of our mastery of technology, a function of our intelligence and ingenuity. At the beginning of The End of the Wild, Meyer describes “weedy species” as “adaptive generalists—species that flourish in a variety of ecological settings, switch easily between food types, and breed prolifically.” In the terms of this definition, humans are the consummate weedy species. Humanity’s resourcefulness and genius have allowed it to adapt to myriad habitats around the globe and to multiply to fill these spaces; however, humanity reaches even further than this. When humanity cannot adapt to local conditions, it assimilates the landscape to itself instead. Throughout the last 10,000 years, humans have dug up the land, selectively cultivated plants to being eaten by people, re-routed rivers, and moved mountains. Humankind has re-inscribed the face of the earth to such an extent that it is currently in danger of writing large swatches of the life on it out of existence. Do we care?
It is clear that humans are to blame for the current extinction crisis. Both Stephen Meyer and E. O. Wilson place the calamity squarely on the shoulders of humanity. Wilson says that “human overpopulation” is a root cause of all the other factors in the loss of biological diversity: “habitat loss,” “invasive species,” “pollution,” and “overharvesting.” Meyer names these same forces in only slightly different terms: “development, agriculture, resource consumption, pollution, and alien species.” The forms of humanity’s impact are many, but the heart of the matter is simple: humans are everywhere. Although Wilson says that Homo sapiens “is a species confined to an extremely small [ecological] niche,” the truth is that humans have proven to be remarkable versatile, colonizing all but the most inhospitable areas of the globe. Most of this adaptability, as Wilson points out, is a matter of our mastery of technology, a function of our intelligence and ingenuity. At the beginning of The End of the Wild, Meyer describes “weedy species” as “adaptive generalists—species that flourish in a variety of ecological settings, switch easily between food types, and breed prolifically.” In the terms of this definition, humans are the consummate weedy species. Humanity’s resourcefulness and genius have allowed it to adapt to myriad habitats around the globe and to multiply to fill these spaces; however, humanity reaches even further than this. When humanity cannot adapt to local conditions, it assimilates the landscape to itself instead. Throughout the last 10,000 years, humans have dug up the land, selectively cultivated plants to being eaten by people, re-routed rivers, and moved mountains. Humankind has re-inscribed the face of the earth to such an extent that it is currently in danger of writing large swatches of the life on it out of existence. Do we care?
Why Why We Care Is Not Enough
So it is established that humans, with our vast ingenuity and versatility, are the cause of the extinction crisis underway today. Many people are worried and are sounding the alarm for others to get concerned as well. However, the reasons a person has for caring about the loss of biological diversity will affect what s/he is willing to do about, what s/he sees as a reasonable solution (if there is one), and which causes of the problem s/he is willing to acknowledge and address. If the argument against the loss of biological diversity is not given the proper frame, the steps taken to address the problem cannot yield long-term solutions. Many of the arguments as to why we should care do not lead to genuine resolution.
So it is established that humans, with our vast ingenuity and versatility, are the cause of the extinction crisis underway today. Many people are worried and are sounding the alarm for others to get concerned as well. However, the reasons a person has for caring about the loss of biological diversity will affect what s/he is willing to do about, what s/he sees as a reasonable solution (if there is one), and which causes of the problem s/he is willing to acknowledge and address. If the argument against the loss of biological diversity is not given the proper frame, the steps taken to address the problem cannot yield long-term solutions. Many of the arguments as to why we should care do not lead to genuine resolution.
