Watch Gaia's Choice

The total weight of living ants on the planet is equal to the global weight of humanity. But ants do not have the same brutal impact on the environment that we do. And when it comes to the survival of life on earth, simply in biological terms, the tiny ants are much more important than man. If ants disappeared from the face of the earth in one go, the result would be global chaos, which only a small percentage of existing species might survive. However, if humans suddenly disappeared, ecologically speaking, nothing would happen. A few species might miss us - rats, for instance - but one can imagine many other parts of the eco-sphere breathing sighs of relief. Are we the so-called most intelligent species on earth? Is it time to take action? When? How?