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Originally posted by ndetroit
It become our *responsibility* to assist animals/plants/whatever that may be in danger of extinction as soon as we began the process of unnatural selection... That is to say, human beings have disrupted the worlds ecosystems to the point where some of them may be unrecoverable. It's our job not to subvert natural selection, but to preserve as much of the natural order as we possibly can...
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This "unnatural selection", as you call it, does not exist. Humans are <i>a part</i> of nature, not <i>apart</i> from it. Why is it that you think humans are somehow tainted and evil? We're animals, a part of the ecosystem just like everybody else.
We are a crucial part of the current environment. If animals can not adapt to deal with us, then they will die off. Then, animals that can work best in our current environment will evolve. Granted, it's a slow process. But history shows that it always happens. Keeping a poorly adapted species alive so that it can consume resources that would be better used by a more adapted species is just silly. If animals were software, it would be illegal to delete Windows 3.11 from your system. For christ's sake, it's endangered! I know that's a silly example, but I don't think you realize that upgrades are going to occur. It's just that you probably won't be alive when they do.
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Originally posted by ndetroit
Environments change all the time, but not at the rate that they are now.. Natural selection can't keep up with changes humanity is bringing to the environment...
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Humans have only been here for 130,000 years, and it's only been about 300 years since the Industrial Revolution. Natural selection takes millions of years before even the tiniest change would even be noticed. So, I don't really think you can make that claim. In fact, i think the opposite is true.
Quote:
Originally posted by ndetroit
Let the strong survive then, and the let the chips fall where they may? ....
sure.... ... but once one small part of the ecosphere breaks down, and something can't step in and replace that part, then humans are gonna be pretty much hosed....
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New species will evolve. How do you think we got here? The dinosaurs were wiped from the face of the earth. Not too long after, there was an explosion of all kinds of exotic mammal species. That was nearly the biggest disaster in the history of the planet, but life found a way. In fact, it sprung back in a huge way. If there are resources available, a new species will evolve to exploit them.
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Originally posted by ndetroit
But if you want to keep looking at it as a "save the weak from extinction", then think of it this way: This bear likely has a few dormant strands of DNA that were previously recessed.... Perhaps his childrens galbladders will be the next colon-cancer cure... And then when I get colon-cancer, he can save MY weak ass from extinction... ;)
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Ok, now that's stretching it, I think. :)
I'm not saying that saving weak species from extinction is morally wrong. Just a waste of time. If the species is poorly adapted, then it's going to die off eventually no matter what you do. So you're probably just delaying the inevitable.
Anyway, that's my opinion. I know i'm in the minority. That's why I felt like expressing it. :)