Environmentalists have long lamented the alarming rate at which
numerous animal species are becoming extinct. And though most agree
that the solution requires humans to share the land more equitably
with wildlife, how that translates in practice remains open for
debate.
As Kathryn Eastburn reports in the Colorado Springs
Independent, some environmentalists, like Earth First!
co-founder Dave Foreman, now of the Wildlands Project, contend that
species survival depends on ?setting aside large core habitat areas
that are roadless and unimpeded by human activities.? Others, such
as Michael Rozenweig of the University of Arizona, argue that we
must ?learn to share our habitats, whether urban, semi-urban, or
rural, deliberately with other species.?
The answer, says Eastburn, would ideally be both. We should be
setting land aside for reserves, as well as accommodating those
animals living among humans. Focusing on divisions between
environmentalists misses the point, Eastburn explains. There is
something about which they all agree: We need to do
something?and soon. ?The prospects are gloomy if we don?t
start sharing the planet with nonhuman species more wholeheartedly
and thoughtfully,? she writes.
?Amelia Bauerly
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