COMMENTS:
* At least nine species have gone extinct since 1980, when the most dramatic declines began.
* Another 113 species have not been reported from the wild in recent years and are considered to be possibly extinct.
* 43 percent of all species are in population decline; fewer than one percent are increasing. Twenty seven percent are stable, and the rest are unknown.
* 427 species are considered Critically Endangered (CR), 761 are Endangered (EN), and 668 are Vulnerable (VU).
Yeah, I've heard this in the news recently and it's disconcerting. It seems amphibians are also very sensitive to changes in solar radiation levels, which in turn are affected by the ozone layer.
Another thing that scares the shit out of me is that what we're seeing is only the result of chemicals and pollutants that we used 50 years ago. In other words, there's a 50 year lag time for us to see the results of our ignorance. Nice, huh?
But the air is cleaner than ever since Dubya took office! (his words)
by mojo on Fri Oct 15, 04 11:14am
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Scarry, how many wakeup calls do we need
by ABC on Fri Oct 15, 04 11:18am
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About 99% of the species that ever lived on this planet have gone extinct. We shouldn't be too surprised if we become one of them.
Neal: That is over the lifetime of the planet. This has all happened within the span of a human generation! Centuries of extinctions ... all within our lifetimes.
No, my friend, this is not natural and to be expected.
Oops ... just read your last line.
Sad, but true.
We're already being affected very adversely. Look at rates of infertility.
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