What we have overlooked is that they can live without us, and did for two billion years before we evolved. Life is not like that.
Earthquakes are nasty, but much the same.
Biology, however, has its own agenda, which means that it fights back against any attempt to interfere. It is called evolution. When Jamie Butler's pigs go for slaughter this winter, he will be keeping his fingers crossed about their weight and condition. From January, a quarter of the bacon sold in Britain will come from foreign pigs that have not been fed antibiotics to make them grow faster. Producers think it will give them an edge in the market.