Time to give geodiversity its due

Why read this story?

Editor's note: I was recently reminded of a diagram from a class I took in college. The subject was environmental ethics, and the topic being discussed was sentience—or the capacity to experience feelings. In the diagram, the professor drew a horizontal line, and marked different points on it, each representing a type of life on earth. At one end of the line were humans. Further down the line were other mammals, other vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and so on. The line was from a branch of environmental ethics that judges environmental actions based on the sentient value of the life form concerned. The line moves from humans, who can feel pain and emotions, are social and capable of self-reflection. As we move along the line, these sentient attributes reduce, and so does their value. This seems controversial, but many of us shudder at the sight of a slaughtered mammal, but think nothing about squashing mosquitoes. The line also serves as a guide to our expanding sense of ethics. For instance, we strove for human rights, then animal rights, followed by attempts to preserve …