Came across an older George Carlin (posted it on Facebook). Joked about the hubris of "saving he earth". The earth will be just fine without us, said George. Or with us. I was struck last year at the Monterey Bay Aquarium as I viewed an exhibit showing past extinctions. The vertical timeline went back millions of years--far earlier than the advent of human life. It showed that we have far more species today than ever before. The cautions by well-meaning ecologists that we are "in danger" of losing more and more species as a result of man's actions (habitat destruction, global warming, urban creep, etc.) are so very anthro-centric. We are sad--we see our world changing. We see and feel smog-choked skies. We are sad to see dolphins captured. We are sad to see wolves disappear. But we need to be honest that it's about our sadness, not about any absolute benefit to anything. Eventually all species will go extinct...and others will be created. And cataclysms, beyond our control, will remake our world.
Having said this, I am for keeping clean air and clean water and clean country sides. I am for limiting human suffering and animal suffering. But I want to be clear that it's because of my selfish desire to have the world like I want it....not because there is some penultimate good that exists outside of my brain.
