I am not sure that Dr. Patton's statement was near perfection. I would agree that we are being stupid if we don't acknowledge our role in at least the loss of some species, but long before we changed the planet for the worse, species were being lost as a result of changes in the conditions they had evolved to exist in. Even if we can reduce the effects of our species on this planet, I don't know how conditions might change in the future that may result in the loss of other species, particularly plants that can't actively outrun spreading glaciers or rising oceans. We should acknoledge that we have some responsibility, but I don't think we have the responsibility to maintain the planet at some arbitrary steady state to prevent the loss of any current species.
David Baker, Botanist Tiller Ranger District Umpqua National Forest Tiller, OR 97484 541-825-3149
