This post, of course, is immortal

New Scientist has an article running about how long it would take the traces of civilization to disappear completely, if humanity were to disappear tomorrow. Basically: not very long. There have been some changes made that won't ever change back on their own, particularly in the area of invasive species, but on the whole it reinforces what I think is the most important concept of conservation: almost all of it is motivated by an enlightened self-interest. Since the effects of the stupid things we do continue only as long as we actually do those stupid things, the major problems will fix themselves -- we can choose to use our environmental resources in a sustainable way, or we'll reach a point where they're no longer available to us. Either way, problem solved.