The bulldozer and not the atomic bomb may turn out to be the most destructive invention of the 20th century. Without knowing it, we utilize hundreds of products each day that owe their origin to wild animals and plants. Indeed our welfare is intimately tied up with the welfare of wildlife. Well may conservationists proclaim that by saving the lives of wild species, we may be saving our own. To save every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.
Natural species are the library from which genetic engineers can work.
The value of biodiversity is more than the sum of its parts. If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected. We consider species to be like a brick in the foundation of a building.