When environmentalists are spiritual invalids, they say stuff like this

[Owledge]

Some insect species go extinct before they are even discovered.

 

Even more sadly, this doesn't even need a dive into outright spirituality. General philosophy, psychology or just frickin' logic would help and make very cautious about making such problematic claims that easily erode credibility. (key term - proving a negative)

Even if you find dead remnants of insects and can determine that they are of an unknown species (probably one gene a tiny bit different, hah), you still don't know whether they are all dead at that point. It's the hubris of a surveillance-control mind.

There have been enough cases of formerly believed extinct species suddenly appearing again, and insects can be damn good at hiding and evading an accurate census.

[Nungali]

Errmmm .....

 

Fossils .

[Owledge]

4 hours ago, Nungali said:

Errmmm .....

 

Fossils .

I don't count that since it's not in the context of environmentalism. Can hardly discover what you weren't around to discover. The fossil would somehow have to be dated to a time far enough back that there is no chance that species still exists.

 

I am commenting on the general issue of confirmation bias in the topic of biodiversity, because the claim quoted tends to go hand-in-hand with an ignorance of how many new species might be emerging that we haven't found yet, combined with the detail obsession with genetic variations and potentially bloating statistics with their vanishing.

The guy who made the quoted claim also claimed that bees might go extinct in the coming decades, which is cringy when you consider they are valued livestock animals all over the world. Could just as well claim chickens or cows might go extinct.

[Nungali]

11 hours ago, Owledge said:

I don't count that since it's not in the context of environmentalism. Can hardly discover what you weren't around to discover. The fossil would somehow have to be dated to a time far enough back that there is no chance that species still exists.

 

I do, becasue I think the examination of past extinctions and environmental changes of the past are a part of  'environmentalism'

 

environmentalism

/ɛnˌvʌɪr(ə)nˈmɛnt(ə)lɪz(ə)m/

Learn to pronounce

 

noun

noun: environmentalism

1. 1.

   concern about and action aimed at protecting the environment.

   "he claims to embrace modern environmentalism and an ecological approach"

    
2. 2.

   the theory that environment, as opposed to heredity, has the primary influence on the development of a person or group

    

   Also it goes with my own experience . particularly with the spheroid segmented miniature scorpions that lived at my place ; amazed I enquired with a local authority to see if it was a recognised species   ( some species are VERY localised ) . It wasnt and the response was 'No big deal, there are MANY unrecognised species out there .'     I havent see them since , or course I cant prove they went extinct , but they may have .   We had a near extinction event here with our (only in this immediate area ) rare river turtle .   That was only 'discovered' as  different species rather recently  .    Go further up river into the wilderness and I have seen things I never seen before in small local environments .

    

   Things are changing so rapidly that many undiscovered species hay have gone extinct , like the recent mega fires entered areas of rainforest that  have not burnt before . 

    

   Then again, us Aussies are rather expert at extinctions

    

   https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-20/australia-fourth-on-animal-extinction-list/10002380?nw=0

    

11 hours ago, Owledge said:

 

I am commenting on the general issue of confirmation bias in the topic of biodiversity, because the claim quoted tends to go hand-in-hand with an ignorance of how many new species might be emerging that we haven't found yet, combined with the detail obsession with genetic variations and potentially bloating statistics with their vanishing.

The guy who made the quoted claim also claimed that bees might go extinct in the coming decades, which is cringy when you consider they are valued livestock animals all over the world. Could just as well claim chickens or cows might go extinct.

 

Ummm ... you need to look into that 'bee thing '  ....  and they are  NOT anything like 'livestock' , the way we consider  chickens and cows are .