On 30 Jun 08, at 23:44, meneice@att.net wrote: > ...this is a terribly complicated problem... It's not the problem that's complex, it's the solution. The problem is a very simple one: over-population. This has led to more and more urbanization & development which are primary causes of habitat destruction, in turn the A#1 cause of plants and animals in trouble. Consider tecophilaea: although overly aggressive collecting on behalf of Dutch bulb companies was undoubtedly part of the problem, the real causes of its near- extinction in the wild were urbanization of and overgrazing. But you notice that in all the yap yap yap about carbon footprints, environmental degradation, etc, no one points the finger at the real culprit: unrestrained reproduction by Homo sapiens. I will leave it as a homework exercise to work out what the underlying factors behind that are. Hint: look at a few sacred cows (figurativel speaking). Sadly, there are many elements in society ruthlessly opposed to humans getting a grip on their reproductive proclivities. Even more sadly, Mother Nature has repeatedly demonstrated that any species that proliferates in such a manner sooner or later undergoes a catastrophic drop in numbers. Homo sapiens is not exempt from this process. To summarize: underlying factors -> unrestrained reproduction -> overpopulation -> ever increasing use of fossil fuels, development, urbanization, and overgrazing -> environmental degradation -> QED The sequence is not complete, of course, nor does the chain of cause and effect conform to a simple linear model. Does anyone have any authentic news on the results of attempts to re-establish Iris winogradowii in the Caucasus? -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate on beautiful Vancouver Island