Weisman Article in BASW

"Earth without people" -- I really liked this article. Why? Why did I like this article? I was initially impressed with the series of questions in the first paragraph, the appeal to my curiosity and the nod to a popular worry: how human lifestyles are destroying the planet.

Further, I wanted to read on to find out how Earth might look without us. I felt sad when I learned about the many large mammal species we have squeezed out of existence in the US. A lot of it seemed sort of like common sense, though. Even now trees and weeds destroy our roads and sidewalks. Weather cracks our concrete and wears out our homes, roofs need replacing, wood siding needs refinishing,driveways need repaving. Nothing lasts forever without human intervention.

It was interesting how long he thought dams would last, and certain structures, like Hell's Gate Arch might last 1000 years.

How come we trust Weisman? What special qualification does he have to report these facts and make them believable? I should take a look at his bio. He also used a number of experts on different structures and on nature. Very interesting overall.