Yves here. Satyajit Das is better positioned than most generalists to comment on human destruction of natural habitats and the resulting species loss. He has sometimes e-mailed me before going on extended holidays, always to remote spots to see flora and fauna, and he has lamented about the declines he has seen. Even those of us who do not seek out wild places can see signs of the loss of biodiversity, such as the dramatic fall in insect spats on windshields over time, or fewer birds.

By Satyajit Das, a former banker and author of numerous technical works on derivatives and several general titles: Traders, Guns & Money: Knowns and Unknowns in the Dazzling World of Derivatives (2006 and 2010), Extreme Money: The Masters of the Universe and the Cult of Risk (2011) and A Banquet of Consequences (2016 and 2021). His latest book, The Everything Bubble: A Guide to the New Age of Financial Speculation and Phantom Wealth, will be released in 2027.…