--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To dismiss the current extinction wave on…" description: "\"To dismiss the current extinction wave on the grounds that extinctions are normal events is like ignoring a genocidal massacre on the grounds that ever..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/jared-diamond-2519_bounds_to-dismiss-the-current-extinction-wave-o_2230651.jpg" --- # To dismiss the current extinction wave on the grounds that… ![“To dismiss the current extinction wave on the grounds that extinctions are normal events is like ignoring a genocidal massacre on the grounds that every human is bound to die at some time anyway.” quote by Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/jared-diamond-2519_bounds_to-dismiss-the-current-extinction-wave-o_2230651.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/jared-diamond-2519_bounds_to-dismiss-the-current-extinction-wave-o_2230651.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/jared-diamond-2519_bounds_to-dismiss-the-current-extinction-wave-o_2230651.jpg) > “To dismiss the current extinction wave on the grounds that extinctions are normal events is like ignoring a genocidal massacre on the grounds that every human is bound to die at some time anyway.” [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dismissing current mass extinctions as normal ignores their unprecedented scale and moral urgency, akin to rationalizing genocide. **In simple terms:** Current extinctions are not normal. Key Takeaway Act against biodiversity loss. Themes environment ethics mass extinction human responsibility Mood urgent somber motivational Type environmental ethical When to use this quote - policy advocacy - education - community projects - research funding Key Concepts conservation biology climate change moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do humans have to prevent extinctions? - How can societies value biodiversity? A Different Perspective Economic interests often oppose conservation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bounds/) [Current Extinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/current-extinction-5017523/) [Currents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/currents/) [Dies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dies/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Extinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinction/) [Extinctions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinctions-588625/) [Extinctions Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinctions-normal-5017522/) [Grounds Extinctions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grounds-extinctions-5017524/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ignoring Genocidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignoring-genocidal-5017521/) [Massacres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/massacres/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Wave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wave/) ## Related quotes > [“Today, amphibians enjoy the dubious distinction of being the world’s most endangered class of animals; it’s been calculated that the group’s extinction rate could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kolbert/today-amphibians-enjoy-the-dubious-distinction-of-being-the-world-s/) [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) > [“But for now it’s goodbye to the beaches, and indeed many a celebrated island of yore now lies deep under the waves. 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O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Often extinctions in the ocean occur at the same time as those on land. Then again, the ice age extinctions lost many big animals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/often-extinctions-in-the-ocean-occur-at-the-same-time-as-those-on/) [Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/) ## More by Jared Diamond > [Bird taxonomy is a difficult field because of the severe anatomical constraints imposed by flight. There are only so many ways to design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/bird-taxonomy-is-a-difficult-field-because-of-the-severe-anatomical/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [What did the last Easter Islander say as he chopped down the last tree? 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