Darwinism watch: How Darwin worship helps animal extinction

In Clever Critters: 8 Best Non-Human Tool Users, by Brandon Keim (Wired Science, January 16, 2009), we are introduced to best known examples of animal tool use.
The article begins with the requisite Darwin worship, of course:

Much more likely remains to be found: until Jane Goodall watched chimpanzees fishing for termites with sticks, scientists had been reluctant to credit animals with such sophisticated behavior — perhaps because, as Charles Darwin noted, "Animals, whom we have made our slaves, we do not like to consider our equal."
Darwin himself was quite intrigued by animal tool use, suggesting that it allowed them to overcome biological shortcomings. In On the Origin of Species, he noted that elephants snap off tree branches to swat away flies; in honor of Darwin’s interest, elephants are the first on our list of animal tool use.

So that compares with, say, the Canadarm on the Space Shuttle?

Well, the sad reality is better recorded here: "African elephants face extinction by 2020, conservationists warn".

If I die tonight, the most urgent thing I want to say is this: Putting animals on the same plane as humans not only disses humans but dooms animals.

They don't stand a chance in a contest.

Look, it was never supposed to be a contest. Pretending that they and we are on equal terms dooms them.

Whatever you may believe about religion, the plain fact is that we must look after them, especially when they are vulnerable. Otherwise, they will die.

Ideologies aimed at pretending that humans are "just evolved animals" are - in my view - bad for the environment.

Find out why there is an intelligent design controversy:

Book review: Simon Conway Morris on E.O. Wilson's The Creation: Appeal to Save Life on Earth

Apparently, Darwinist E.O. Wilson has decided to quit trashing clergy, and make an appeal to them (as in "Dear Pastor") to help save the planet. Even though the planet has been around for a long, long time, and has been through many cataclysms. Conway Morris hints that Wilson may not be the best available person to spearhead such a move:

Wilson's programme is put forward with the best of intentions, yet it is underpinned by an incoherent metaphysics. Equally important, its scientistic agenda carries the real risk of imposing tyranny. Wilson is famous for his holistic programme, loosely described as 'consilience'. This aims to understand human nature in terms of entirely naturalistic processes underpinned by genetics. As part of his programme for human development, Wilson blithely writes that one of the great goals is to "stimulate the mind with the combination of artificial intelligence and artificial emotion", chosen of course by the wisest of our leaders.

Feel queasy about all that? Well, sure you do, you're just an ignorant fundie.

You'll have to pay to read the rest at the link above, fundie, but you won't be surprised to learn that Conway Morris does not put much faith in Wilson's Dear Pastor letter.