I woke up to the horrible news today that Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, has passed away. No, this isn't like the Frosties kid, he's really dead. First of all, any man who has his life taken away suddenly, leaving his wife and a young child behind, is a tragedy. For Steve Irwin, however, this really is a great loss to the world. It's very hard to overlook Irwin's contributions to the world and what a great man he truly was. For some, he can be seen as your stereotype, bush Aussie, with his catchphrase of "crikey" and his crazy antics. This alone makes him pretty loveable. But when you consider the work he has done to raise environemental awareness, geological preservation and the incredibly rare gift of getting lazy adolescents, like myself, enthusiastic in the field of saving wildlife, his premature death should be mourned by everyone on this planet. I can take but one comfort in this great man's demise. Steve Irwin died doing what he loved and what he was loved for around the world. The stingray that stabbed him in the heart may have ended his life, but we cannot forget all that Steve Irwin has given. I emplore you to visit his own charity site: http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au, and to take an interest in the World Wildlife Federation to help his legacy live on. R.I.P. Steve Irwin.