Species diversity is either important, or it’s not.
If it’s laudable to drive the guinea worm to extinction for the benefit of mankind, why then is it not ok to allow the delta smelt to “maybe” go extinct so that California farmers can grow more food for man’s benefit?
Thoughtful post of the day.
what is the dealt it smelt it?
Does PETA know about this species-ist attack on an innocent animal?
Great, insightful question - we all want to eradicate disease ‘for the good of mankind,’ but heaven help us all if we even suggest some vertebrate be left to die out so people don’t starve.
Maybe that’s the dividing line for the PETA folks. I certainly don’t hear them taking sides with mosquitoes or termites.
Although neither rates very high, I would say that a fish comes a lot closer to cracking out of the negative numbers on the ‘warm and fuzzy’ scale than does the Guinea worm.
Also protecting it does not inconvenience any evil white men or evil middle class people, so what’s the point?
Why aren’t they setting aside critical habitat for this worm?