Passage Summary: A columnist argues that we aren't actually losing species because the speed at which they die out hasn't changed since 1970, and the speed at which new ones appear is also steady.

Conclusion: The total number of species on Earth is likely remaining stable rather than decreasing.

Reasoning: The current extinction rate is roughly the same as it was in 1970, and new species are appearing at the same rate they have for centuries.

Analysis: The columnist's argument rests on the assumption that the extinction rate in 1970 was 'normal' or at least balanced out by the birth of new species. To weaken this, we need to find a reason why these two rates don't actually balance each other out. Perhaps the rate of new species emergence is naturally much slower than the rate of extinction, or perhaps 1970 was already a year of abnormally high extinctions. Look for an answer that suggests the 'steady' extinction rate is actually much higher than the 'steady' creation rate. It's a classic case of a columnist trying to sound reassuring while ignoring the actual math of the situation.