This article is actually an ethics piece pretending to be a scientific piece. Granted, conservation biology is like medicine in that it is science with a mission.
There are a lot of folks in the ethics community who are going to take issue with this. You could argue against this on Rawlsian grounds alone. On Mon, Nov 27, 2017 at 8:10 PM, THOMAS J GIVNISH <[email protected]> wrote: > Here is the google-drive version of the Antonelli et al. letter to the > editor in response to Pyron: > > > https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VJuKuXDP62NQcBdIuIkCi-LqMyRbORv2 > > > Cheers, Tom > > > Thomas J. Givnish > > Henry Allan Gleason Professor of Botany > > University of Wisconsin-Madison > > > [email protected] > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news < > [email protected]> on behalf of Andrew Barton <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Monday, November 27, 2017 6:52 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [ECOLOG-L] Editorial on Not Saving Endangered Species > > The facts of Dr. Pyron's essay are beside the point. This is not so much > a scientific argument as a values one. > > Here's what I wrote to the Washington Post in response to his essay. > > "This is a blunt anthropocentric value statement masquerading as a > scientific essay. We don't need all the science surrounding these > arguments. They are accurate enough. (I'm also an academic biologist, and I > also teach these concepts and examples.) > > Dr. Pyron could have simply written: "Enough of worrying about other > species. We humans won the evolutionary battle, other species have no value > except as they contribute to our well-being, and so who cares whether the > others go extinct. Long live humans." > > That viewpoint is abhorrent to me, and it has contributed mightily to the > path that has led us to environmental destruction, threatening many > species, including humans." > > On Mon, Nov 27, 2017 at 6:03 PM, Angela Demarse <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Thank you for sharing, Howard. > > This article embodies my (previously) closeted skepticism/nihilistic > perspective about conservation of species. > > Despite that skepticism, when I think of all the diversity that's > vanished, I feel an intense loss. > > I don't have enough research under my belt to dispute any of the facts in > this article, but I'd love to know if anyone could present a strong > argument (or further readings) for the benefits of protecting species > diversity? > > Best wishes, > Angela Demarse > > > On Nov 27, 2017 5:37 PM, "Howard S. Neufeld" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > All - This editorial, by Biology Professor R. Alexander Pyron, George > Washington University, appeared in the Washington Post on November 22. The > title is: "*We Don't Need to Save Endangered Species. Extinction is Part > of Evolution*". > > I haven't seen any comments about this editorial on this listserve, > but I can tell you that it will be a focus of discussion in my Honors class > next semester. > > What do you all think about it? Click *HERE > <https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/we-dont-need-to-save-endangered-species-extinction-is-part-of-evolution/2017/11/21/57fc5658-cdb4-11e7-a1a3-0d1e45a6de3d_story.html?utm_term=.52c3dcfcad63>* > to access the editorial. > > Howie Neufeld > > -- > Dr. Howard S. Neufeld, Professor > > Mailing Address: > Department of Biology > 572 Rivers St. > Appalachian > <https://maps.google.com/?q=572+Rivers+St.+Appalachian&entry=gmail&source=g> > State University > Boone, NC 28608 > Tel: 828-262-2683 <(828)%20262-2683>; Fax 828-262-2127 <(828)%20262-2127> > > Websites: > Academic: http://biology.appstate.edu/faculty-staff/104 > Personal: http://www.appstate.edu/~neufeldhs/index.html > Fall Colors Academic: http://biology.appstate.edu/fall-colors > Fall Colors Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FallColorGuy > > > > > > -- > > > Dr. Andrew Barton > > Professor of Biology > > University of Maine at Farmington > > 173 High Street, Preble Hall > > Farmington, ME 04938 > > [email protected] > > > Faculty Coordinator > > UMF Sustainable Campus Coalition > > sustainablecampus.umf.maine.edu > > > -- Christopher Round Master of Public Affairs and Master of Environmental Science Phone: 978-654-8310 LinkedIn: http://lnkd.in/DxwBT4
