November 30th is Remembrance Day for Lost Species. It is a day to recognize the species, of both animals and plants, that have been lost in the Sixth Great Extinction event, and look at the ways in which we, as humans, are responsible for these extinctions. As anyone who is familiar with the concepts of ecology knows, extinctions are a natural event, but what makes this large-scale extinction even unique, is that human activity is the sole cause for it. Please take a moment today to think about what has been lost, and what may be lost in the future. As far as we currently know, the planet Earth is the only celestial body capable of sustaining life, and the amazing creative impulse, that takes form in biodiversity, is surely worth saving.
We must take a hard look at our behaviors, or else the brilliant biodiversity that characterizes our planet may be lost. Is it more important to live in a world of bottomless human consumption, which is ultimately an illusion, or to recognize our place in the biosphere and begin to show respect for all other forms of life? If you have children, or plan on having children, do you want them to grow up in a world in which there is nothing left to inspire awe? Do you want your children to live in a world in which the majority of animals only exist in books or on the internet? Do you want your children to never hear the singing of birds in the trees?
Looking at the reality of the problems that currently face us, and the world at large, is a difficult and depressing feat. However, if we don't begin to closely observe our own consumptive behaviors, it may soon be too late and we may wake up one day to find we have driven ourselves to extinction.
