I'm not so much worried about the biodiversity as such - earth will recover, and rather quickly I think. Humans may be a very peculiar extinction event, but just one among many.
But I do think that the loss of biodiversity is also telegraphing troubles for humanity, or at least the experiment in civilization we're currently all taking part in. The predatory ecosystem exploitation that we have been doing for the past two hundred years is catching up with us . And if we want to retain any chance to continue this experiment a few hundred years, we seriously have to change our approach in evaluating the worth that the earth's eco system has for us. You know, our very own life support system.
Currently we're losing about 30% of animal population every ten years. This cannot continue. We're wrecking the place. We are killing ourselves.
Well you can still empathize with the pain that other feeling, conscious creatures on Earth experience as a direct result of our actions. It's one thing if a meteor strikes the earth and you simply witness a mass extinction, it's another if you ARE the meteor.
We should care about biodiversity because it affects humans AND because it affects other living things which also have emotions and feel pain and will suffer as a result of what we've done. "Mother Earth" as a concept doesn't exist but other animals do. I think that's what people usually mean by that phrase.
But I do think that the loss of biodiversity is also telegraphing troubles for humanity, or at least the experiment in civilization we're currently all taking part in. The predatory ecosystem exploitation that we have been doing for the past two hundred years is catching up with us . And if we want to retain any chance to continue this experiment a few hundred years, we seriously have to change our approach in evaluating the worth that the earth's eco system has for us. You know, our very own life support system.
Currently we're losing about 30% of animal population every ten years. This cannot continue. We're wrecking the place. We are killing ourselves.
(My pet theory? This is the great filter!)