A Spiritual Extinction?

A friend of mine has found great peace and sprititual solace in the many appearances of a natural phenomena around her: white butterflies, either native Common White or the imported European variety, have become, for her and her many friends, a sign of recovery from grief, a message from the biopolis that life is forever renewed, and forever in our hearts.

Many of us have a similar attachment to another species of butterfly: the Quino checkerspot, an endangered species indigenous to San Diego County which for us symbolizes, indeed defines, some sacred places in our lives-- places where we find solace and peace, where we rejuvenate out spirits and recover from the many challenges in our lives. As we walk in the chaparral the rare sight of one of these colorful marvels reminds us that we live in a precious place that is inhabitated by very special beings who live no where else, which on good days is the way we like to think of ourselves. Maybe we aren't that special, but it sure feels that way, and when I walk in our backcountry I feel blessed with the biophiliac bliss of communion with other beings in the world; the Quino checkerspot is one of those special beings.
That's why is was so disturbing to watch Nightline last night. In a story devoted to global warming, our own native Quino was featured as one of the many biological victims of global warming, and had a good overview of the problem, the minute changes in temperature that can disrupt natural processes and cause the extinction of species who are unable to cope with the changes and cannot move. Many scientists, such as lepidopterist Tom Emmel, are concerned that "the government is burying its head when it comes to the environment - pointing out that a population of butterflies in the western United States is fleeing to higher altitudes because the climate in its old habitat is suffering the effects of global warming."

It would be a shame to lose the beautiful messengers from the spirit to our non-pedestrian need for fossil fuels. And I wonder if we are not losing something much more valuable to us and to the biosphere than an endemic species that, after all, doesn't do much for many people. Perhaps what we lose when a species goes extinct is not so much its ecological importance but an aspect of spiritual significance in our lives that cuts us off from the relationship we have with the Universal One.