?So far as we know, there is not a single other planet in this universe that has even rudimentary protoplasm. And here we have millions, maybe tens of millions, of unique forms of life that manifest themselves as tigers and polar bears, thistles, birds and snakes. And we don?t know if it?s 10 million or 100 million kinds. It?s crazy. We don?t even have that basic grasp of what makes our planet tick ? let alone how to keep it ticking.?
– Norman Myers, Ecologist