Agenda
- Lilly-Marlene Russow, "Why do species matter?"
- Review a bit for quiz Friday -- see quiz tab above -- there's an overview of module one there
- Next reading response is an annotation assignment -- see instructions
If we have obligations to individual animals, what about whole species?
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| 2024 -- eagles plentiful -- should we help if nest falls? 1994 -- eagles rare -- should we help if nest falls? |
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Suppose yes, we should preserve endangered species (so stronger duty to help the eagles in 1994)
- WHY? What's that based on? How is that possible to have duties toward whole species, considering only individuals have sentience, interests, a good of their own?
- WHICH? Do we have the same obligations to preserve every endangered species?
Lily-Marlene Russow, "Why Do Species Matter?"
"Some test cases" (p. 138-139)
- Trying to show that our concern for species is at least uneven and complicated
- Will help her develop her own answer to our questions.
Russow's answer to our questions--
p. 143-144 (passages A, B, C, D)
p. 142 (passage E)
THE WHY QUESTION
- Endangered species should be protected because we value future encounters with individual members of the species
- We value those encounters because of our aesthetic experiences (of many kinds)
THE WHICH QUESTION
- Different species have unequal aesthetic value, so aren't equally worth preserving.
- Tigers worth preserving...we want to keep seeing them
- But maybe not the snail darter!
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Russow: traditional answers to WHY QUESTION
- Stewardship answer
- objection: doesn't explain why species are worth preserving
- Extrinsic value of species--(a) valuable as a warning signal, (b) valuable for ecosystems
- various objections
- Intrinsic value of species
- objection: how much intrinsic value, what should we give up to preserve a species?
- Aesthetic value of species
- almost affirms, but see below
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- Does not judge some species more worthy than others
- Covers plants and animals that are threatened or endangered
- listed species -- include delta smelt and devil's hole pupfish
- For listed species, (a) federal government can't take actions that further endanger, and (b) harming is prohibited on public and private land, and (c) US Fish and Wildlife must design and implement a recovery plan
- Passed with broad bipartisan support in 1973, signed by President Nixon
Reports--
- Devil's hole pup fish -- the sort of species worth preserving?
- Delta smelt -- the sort of species worth preserving?
- Snail darters -- really a species?
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Politics -- should water be diverted from the Delta to benefit farmers in the Central Valley, even at the cost of delta smelt extinction?
- 2019, Trump ridicules protection of delta smelt
- 2025, Trump blames LA fires on keeping water in delta for the sake of the worthless delta smelt
- 2024, Wall Street Journal editorial critical of diverting water to preserve delta smelt
- Conservative commentary about delta smelt
- End of 2024, Democrats Governor Gavin Newsom and President Biden also reduce water in delta
- Friends of delta smelt