[Tommy]

As we begin our second day of discussion, let me congratulate everyone for staying on topic and keeping it civil. I didn't expect we'd change anyone's position on these matters, but I do enjoy learning how others think about things.

My thoughts on the extinction of species coincides with my philosophy on conservation in general. I look at the Earth as a dynamic world that has been constantly changing for the last 4 billion years. Many scientists believe there have been four or five mass extinctions during that time. After every mass extinction, new species arose and repopulated the Earth. Many believe that humans would never have arisen if a mass extinction event about 65 million years ago had not wiped out most of the dinosaurs and given mammals a chance to move up. So, seeing a species go extinct is not a new or unusual phenomenon on Earth. It sometimes happens.

The question now is whether the extinction of a particular species is good or bad for me. I would argue that erradicating the small pox virus was a good thing for me and most humans. Killing off the polar bears or mountain gorillas wouldn't affect my daily life at all, but it would pose a hardship for some people. Killing off the bees that pollenate our crops would be devastating for me. So, I am for the extinction of some species, against the extinction of others, and indifferent to many. That seems a rational point of view to me.

My view on conservation is similarly pragmatic. For example, I don't think every wetland and forest is worthy of extraordinary efforts to save it. In my opinion, some environments should be maintained and some should be bulldozed, but most I don't care about one way or the other. If a clear majority of citizens favor spending our collective tax funds to protect and conserve a particular environment or species, I'll go along. But I wouldn't support a vocal minority lobbying to use my taxes to protect countless species and environments just because they currently exist. Until someone can make a compelling argument as to how my life would be made better by saving the snail darter, I'm content to let Mother Earth do to the snail darter what it did to the tyrannosaurus rex.