How Do We Decide Which Species to Save?

[Still Waters]

But with dozens of new species going extinct every day - scientists say that more than 20,000 plants and animals are on the brink of disappearing forever - deciding which species to save is a tricky question.

http://news.national...ngered-species/

[Commander CMG]

But with dozens of new species going extinct every day - scientists say that more than 20,000 plants and animals are on the brink of disappearing forever - deciding which species to save is a tricky question.

http://news.national...ngered-species/

Nice article, I like this bit: "If we're going to save pandas rather than ants, we need a good reason, and being cute is not a good reason,"

[redhen]

Putting "cuteness" aside, this is how species endangerment is calculated by the ICUN.

"The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List), founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species"

http://www.iucnredlist.org/

Here's the current IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria

[A rather obscure Bassoon]

As brutal as it sounds,we shouldn't be the ones to decide.As a species our Impact on the Planet has been massive and yes as a result Species have gone extinct because of this, but things should be allowed to run their course on a natural level.It is not our place to play god.

[Commander CMG]

As brutal as it sounds,we shouldn't be the ones to decide.As a species our Impact on the Planet has been massive and yes as a result Species have gone extinct because of this, but things should be allowed to run their course on a natural level.It is not our place to play god.

We selectively choose to intervene who to help during famines, natural disasters and wars, why don’t we just accept that natural disasters and nature running its. Doctors play god all the time operating and saving lives?

[A rather obscure Bassoon]

We selectively choose to intervene who to help during famines, natural disasters and wars, why don’t we just accept that natural disasters and nature running its. Doctors play god all the time operating and saving lives?

Medical ethicacy is totally different to Evolution and Natural Selection.

[Commander CMG]

Medical ethicacy is totally different to Evolution and Natural Selection.

I beg to differ, you used the term “It is not our place to play god” are you being selective in how and when we can interpret it? Plagues and diseases can be seen as a natural selection process! But you agree then that we should not intervene and help others in times of famine or when nature gets angry and throws a tsunami or a hurricane at nations?

[Yamato]

Can we really "save" a species? I think we're playing God already just accepting that kind of language. No, we don't save any species, we run them into the ground, and then offer poor food and even poorer shelter right before they disappear off the planet forever. If they're cute we might take them into our own shelter and feed them table scraps.