What is Digg?60 Comments
- oldhick, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Why is this an American problem? It happens all around the world.
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -2/+8But what about the dinosaurs :(
- fantasticFlan, on 10/23/2007, -0/+5What are you talking about? prairie dogs build cities.
- RedStateRetard, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4The Endangered Species Act is nothing but welfare for animals. ~ Stephen Colbert
- PerfektXj, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4At least we save some of the hundreds of extinct animals
- fantasticFlan, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4No, that was devoted to the problems in Endangered Species Act, not this whole thing.
- trolleyfan, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4They are saved from extinction _for the moment_. Like all other life forms, of course, their destiny is to become extinct. Indeed, that's life _itself's_ destiny. At best, we're congradulating ourselves for saving something that - in the end - can't be saved.
- ki1022, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Quote with context:
"I've been reading the Constitution now and then. I can't find endangered species written in the Constitution and I don't think that's a federal function. But that doesn't mean that if we're not for the Endangered Species Act we shouldn't be interested in protecting species. We should be doing it in a private sort of way. Sometimes ... if there's an endangered species you say 'Well, I'm going to raise a few of those endangered species.' I think you go to jail for some of that. So it literally hinders what the goals are. It's the bureaucratic approach versus the free market approach. There is so much wealth in this country, there are a few billionaires around and many of them are interested in these subjects and there's no reason why with the land they own and buy and control, that they wouldn't be interested in these things." - trolleyfan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2If "Life finds a way" then why were 98-99% of all species already extinct even before man got that "bang the rocks together" thingy down? Apparently, "the way" is to die, leaving no decendants.
- ki1022, on 10/10/2007, -3/+5Animals have been going extinct for millions of years, why do we feel like it our obligation to save every single one? Unless they are obviously going extinct due to human causes...
- Waterrat, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Wolves do not hunt and kill humans.. There has never been a case where wolves stalked humans and killed them. Do your research. .Bears do not hunt humans but sometimes do kill them. Alligators and crocks do not hunt humans but will sometimes kill them if the opportunity arises.
- KevenM, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I guess we'll just have to try harder next time.
- fantasticFlan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Gee, if by "the end" you mean of the universe, nothing can be saved, so why bother with anything?
- frazw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2While I have no data on the subject I agree that statistically some animals are likely to be heading for extinction without our help. The guys who disagree (beyond the scope of the article) likewise have no data on the subject but want to feel righteous. I have a problem when we humans interfere with the natural order for any reason other than food because that *is* the natural order but I don't see why we should save species which by the laws of nature have proven they are not strong enough to survive. I could take that one further and say that we humans are also animals so it is not our responsibility. But we love to be the guardians of the world whether we have a right or not.
- trevorjez, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3“I can’t find endangered species written in the Constitution.” - Ron Paul (actual quote at Seattle University Sept. 14)
- oldhick, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Of course. Love animals, hate people. It's what being human is all about! :P
- fuckingusername, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2nice to see real people that care.dug
- Sonizel, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2this mosly happens in developing countries where poachers run wild
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2It's an American problem if you're trying to take a cheap shot at America.
- twrife, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Prairie Dog - "it was believed that the species damaged rangeland"
Are you kidding me? They damage the hell out of any land that they are in. I know they are cute and cuddly and I will be buried for saying this, but they are a nuisance to any farmer or rancher. - trolleyfan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1It's a way to kill time until _you_ die.
- frazw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Not exactly, "the way" is to either win or lose at the game of survival played against all other species. Species which are "unworthy" die, species which are "worthy" live on. Given that the world itself is ever changing "worthiness" is an evolving concept which is why species still become extinct but some, like us, can adapt or some who were heading for extinction start to flourish.
99% of those species were closely related to a species which existed/exists long after they did. It is difficult to classify species except by looking further down their lineage until the differences become apparent.
As a thought experiment, if a species is separated into two groups for millions of years so they will evolve differently providing two "new" species and of the two new species say one is better at survival than the other. In the long run one is more likely to become extinct and lets say it does, and the other will survive lets call them B and A. Then take the one which survives, A, and do the same experiment again giving us A and C, where C becomes extinct. Now we still have one species A, the same lineage as before but 2 extinct species, B and C. Do that many times over and you have one species, A, with a clear lineage back to the first split, and lots of species which have no direct relationship to each other but do with species A which have become extinct, B, C....... So in the course of the evolution of a single species living today it is inevitable that the number of extinct species will prevail but it doesn't mean that extinction is any creatures destiny. The most that could be said is that it is a species destiny to be fractured into many parts and a very small percentage of those parts be either improvements or not detrimental which promote survival. The point is that those extinct species are part of a trial and error process of natural selection and that kind of extinction is very different from the termination of a whole ancestral line. It's more akin to your brother or sister having children and you not, than the abrupt end of the species which humans, and other animals have cause in the past. - Nu007, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Save (win) some from Extinction lose more to Extinction.
- wittzo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Prairie dogs are vermin and a danger to tractors and must be taken care of in order to make room for all the crops we have to grow in order to make bio-fuels.
Alligators are good eats.
They’ve got freaking kangaroos on the US list. What the heck for? They are zoo animals. The Endangered Species Act is *****! - jj101, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3How do you know? Are you some sort of god that can see the future. Maybe the green sea turtle contains some sort of gene that prevents it getting cancer and one day scientists discover how to make this into a cancer cure for humans.
I can't express the disdain I have for you. - rbardini, on 02/05/2008, -0/+1Dugg for prairie dog.
- animaetaeris, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2the minute you ask "What's it good for?" Is the minute you missed the point. Go read Aldo Leopold.
- Waterrat, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1 You got that right!
Social animals,gotta love um! - frazw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Bollocks haven't you watched Jurassic Park? "Life finds a way"
- Waterrat, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I hope you are being sarcastic.
- seans33, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1*****
- yagotmeseruchi, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"The bald eagle is probably some of the most successful American wildlife story." Why can't a well-educated American write these stories?
- frazw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1If you are talking about prairie dogs and the american "Endangered Species Act." You are talking about american problems but endangered species are a worldwide problem given we humans hate natural selection.
- Waterrat, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1 No their not. Prarie dogs evolved to live on the prairie.
The real destroyer of the prairie is the introduced species called cattle.
http://www.denvergov.org/redirect_404/tabid/367615 ...
http://www.prairiedogcoalition.org/research-new-me ... - ki1022, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"I don't see why we should save species which by the laws of nature have proven they are not strong enough to survive."
Exactly. It's funny how many scientists will tell you all about evolution and Darwin's 'Origin of Species' but will be the same people that waste all this effort on saving animals which are going extinct naturally. - ki1022, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Do you believe in evolution? Would you argue that evolution is a good thing?
- Ghostalker, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I'll bet they all taste great too :)
- indiephoenix, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1It's more a matter of us congratulating ourselves for correcting our own mistakes. Although considering the time and effort given by the people involved in these efforts, I think they do deserve some praise for cleaning up other people's messes.
- Urusai, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I shed no tears for critters that hunt and/or kill humans, such as grizzly bears, alligators, or wolves. They almost became extinct for that very reason, and good riddance to them. Humans won at evolution, and Darwin take the losers.
- bioslogos34, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I wonder if who will save the humans if ever we become close to the brink of extinction.. sad thought.
- jj101, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0@oldhick. LOL. People are animals too... but you got me. Silly comment. Bit grumpy today I guess.
- woraks, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Great stories. Even if people who can use spell-check & grammar-check are apparently a dying breed themselves.
- AriaStar, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Welfare needed to to the actions of humans.
- PKO17, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3Uh. . . many times it is because of humans. And besides, we have the ability to help save them, so why shouldn't we?
- dferrand, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Instead of surfing some obscure website on a Friday night. Perhaps you should get a life, take a trip to Alaska, and observe a Grizzly Bear in the wild (which you can do at Denali National Park). Then you might gleam an idea of why they should be saved. Besides these animals are not endangered because the hunt people. The got in the way of some people making money.
- ki1022, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Ok, so every single species on the endangered list is because of humans? No....
- h4mx0r, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Luckily zombies are not among those saved. Now if someone could get me a discounted movie ticket...
- lschofield, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1You must be getting alot of traffic - I can't load the page.
- animaetaeris, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1If you could find a species that's going extinct for some reason other than over hunting or habitat encroachment/pollution, I would really appreciate it. They are going extinct because of humans.
- atbnet, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Did you read the article dumbass? No, you didn't.
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