Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!yale!decvax!cca!mirror!.misc!inmet!janw
From: janw@inmet.UUCP
Newsgroups: talk.philosophy.misc
Subject: Re: Orphaned Response
Message-ID: <117400009@inmet>
Date: Wed, 24-Sep-86 07:23:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: inmet.117400009
Posted: Wed Sep 24 07:23:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Oct-86 08:09:20 EDT
References: <865@sunybcs.UUCP>
Lines: 39
Nf-ID: #R:sunybcs.UUCP:-86500:inmet:117400009:000:1633
Nf-From: inmet.UUCP!janw    Sep 24 07:23:00 1986


[mccarthy@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU ]
>>Sure, let's preserve genetic diversity:  let's  stock  our  zoos,
>>collect  seeds,  freeze  some  animal sperm and eggs for future
>>use. Wilson's statement, however, is ridiculous. Species die  out
>>all the time, with or  without  human  help.  A  few  hundred  or
>>thousand  species is a drop in the ocean.  And we will soon start
>>creating new species. The problem is of *some*  importance  but
>>has no relevance whatsoever to population control.

> Prior to increase in human ability to destroy the environment, species
>died out at an average rate of about 2 per century.  Now it's in the
>thousands and increasing.  

Whether your figure of 2 is right or not (a reference would be  ap-
preciated) it is irrelevant to my argument. It was that subtract-
ing thousands out of many millions does not reduce genetic diver-
sity  much.  It  was  also  that  artificial methods can preserve
genetic diversity, without hindering technical progress or  popu-
lation  growth. It also was that other artificial methods can ac-
tually increase genetic diversity, and do it fast.

>The arrogance inherent in your anthropocentric chauvinism

A nice bit of McCarthyism :-)

But I suspect your labels could be expanded into a philosophical
argument - though incorrect.

>is exceeded only by the myopia exhibited by your belief that  hu-
>man  life  in a world barren of ecological diversity would not be
>dreadfully impoverished.

Ecological diversity is not necessarily reduced by civilization.
Artificial habitats are habitats too, and they can be very diverse.

>		    John McCarthy

		Jan Wasilewsky