Environmental Research Foundation . . P.O. Box 5036, Annapolis, MD 21403 . . Subscriptions are free. To subscribe, E-mail the words . . The loss of biodiversity is the most difficult problem we face.
Loss of species is permanent.
Extinction itself is a natural process. Extinctions are dangerous for humans, but it is not immediately clear just how dangerous. As time goes on, an occasional rivet will pop out. No single rivet is essential for maintaining flight, but eventually if we pop enough rivets, a crash seems certain to occur. So it is with humans and the other species with whom we share the planet.