stewart brand

Flickr/eyesplash

I had an interesting conversation yesterday in which I was challenged over my distaste for Stewart Brand’s recent Aeon Magazine piece on rethinking extinction.  The post opens by stating, “The idea that we are edging up to a mass extinction is not just wrong – it’s a recipe for panic and paralysis.”  I have two problems with this statement.  First, Mr. Brand claims to know what the future holds.  Second, he seems to be claiming that the mere idea of a current mass extinction is too much for the public to bear.
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