No, no one died and made me God lately. If I need to be worshipping you this Sunday, please show me a sign...
What keystone species might mistakenly be eliminated that could prove to be disasterous for both the natural world and mankind? Allowing the destruction of species with unknown consequences just because you like your kitty is foolhardy at best.
I will look at this from two prongs --
1. This is right down the line with the eco whacko's preventing a dam from being built because of the snail darter, a hospital not being built because of the subspecies of FLY (yes, fly) that ONLY lives on the acreage that the hospital was scheduled to be on, or the economic ruination of Northern CA because of the F---ing Spotted Owl. I had to deal with this crap when I lived in CA -- "I have mine, so f__k all of you; you can't build here because there is a type of bug that is "needed". I do not accept the proposition that any animal species is more important than people.
On an intellectual level, I can understand that the ocean in some way needs, say Bull Sharks, but that does'nt stop me from feeling good when one is caught and killed. At this point in history, any animal that people don't value in some way is in some form or another "endangered". May not be right, but there it is. People's needs are more important than an animal's or even another species needs.
2. Nature has shown redundancy. Many animals serve as predators, prey, seed transpoters, landscapers, waste recyclers, and soil treaters. Just because one particular form of bug eats the rabbit crap in one field does'nt mean that another bug can't show up from the next field to do the same job. And if there is a hospital in that field, does rabbit crap really need a fly around to eat it? If a species is so unsuccessful that knocking down trees in a 800 square mile area or building a hospital would wipe it out, what possible "keystone role" could it play? Viability, I would think, is a trait of a valuable and needed ("keystone") species. Even if a particular type of bird goes bye-bye, another species of bird is around to do the job that bird did. One that breeds faster than cats eat.
Extinctions have happened long before we have had the influence on the environment that we have now, and will continue. No one ever explained to me what was so wonderful about the California Condor for example. I really could'nt care one way or another if they went extinct or there are still a few of the overgrown buzzards around.
My cats are a different story -- I am certain I will shed a few tears when one of them dies.
Sorry, but the mantra of the intellectually challenged does not impress me in the slighest. Your arguments are simplistic and frankly, are both uninformed and lack any scientific credibility. Yes extinctions do occur but, the RATE of extinctions has increased dramatically. Your lack of concern for species that need protection due to anthropogenic effects is disturbing. Expecting another species to magically take over the role or niche of another species is well, dreamy.