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Most Of The Earth's Species Are About To Be Destroyed In A Giant Mass Extinction

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Earthnut

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Had to post this, couldn't resist the urge, and not a bit surprised because many say mankind has become a parasite on this planet.

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https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-earths-species-destroyed-giant-220539502.html


(Business Insider By Lauren F. Friedman)

Most Of The Earth's Species Are About To Be Destroyed In A Giant Mass Extinction

Approximately 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs went extinct, 75% of the planet's many species went with them. It was the world's fifth, and most recent, mass extinction event.

Now, according to a July 25 review in the journal Science, the Earth seems to be at the cusp of a sixth mass extinction. Only this time, an asteroid is not to blame. We are.

"Human impacts on animal biodiversity are an under-recognized form of global environmental change," the team of ecologists and biologists warn in Science. "Among terrestrial vertebrates, 322 species have become extinct since 1500, and populations of the remaining species show 25% average decline in abundance."

A third of all vertebrates, the scientists write, "are threatened or endangered."

There are several long-time drivers of what researchers call "defaunation" — the decline of various animal species. The study points to " overexploitation, habitat destruction, and impacts from invasive species" as continuing threats, but notes that soon, human-caused climate change will be the number one driver of defaunation. Diseases that come from pathogens introduced by humans are another growing threat.

The good news? We're not yet totally doomed.

As David Biello writes in Scientific American:

To avoid the sixth mass extinction we will probably have to employ more aggressive conservation, such as moving species to help them cope with a changing climate . Think re-wilding: reintroducing species like wolves or beavers that were once present in a given ecosystem but have since disappeared. Aggressive conservation might also mean killing off newcomer species to preserve or make room for local flora and fauna.

As another study in Science notes, we've already made headway in saving some animals from what seemed like certain ruin.

But if humans as a species don't want to take our chances with a sixth mass extinction, we need to start taking drastic measures now. The momentum is already moving against us.

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  • Elders (Admins)

Hi Darlene,

I've often pondered that myself.

Wonder how Earth would look now if mankind hadn't survived and was extinct or never existed?

Regards,

Graham

Edited by The Old Man
Posting at 3am is never a good idea.
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  • Elders (Admins)

Re your report (difficulty posting quoted content)...

Mmmm, there's a lot of BBCode and HTML type stuff in your post, perhaps it broke the text editor? Probably a one off.

Regards,

Graham

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Yes, mass extinction is near Seesthru. Setting aside all that is going on in the world, like all the political B S, nations fighting each other, there's other news that is so very disturbing and indicate to me that we are going to be seeing a lot of deaths.

Ebola is spreading in Liberia ~ https://news.yahoo.com/liberia-president-orders-anti-ebola-measures-105834737.html

They're eating insects to survive in DR Congo ~ https://news.yahoo.com/dr-congos-insect-cuisine-nutritious-delicious-083315834.html

And I could go on and on listing things that are killing people, lack of medical help, pollution (Earth and sky), weather modification, drugs (including prescription), and don't get me started on the elderly. By just looking at the news you can see mankind destroying itself, and in every area. We see it everywhere.

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I've followed Ebola since the 70's when I heard about it on the news. Richard Preston's "The Hot Zone" book, I think came out in the early 90's. Scared me witless! I mean, nightmare city! So deadly!

Then they mentioned it on MIllennium, When Watts was talking about prions, marburg.... I though, huh! Marburg isn't the worrisome one, Zaire is! However mixed with prions, who can fight prions? Scary.

Now the two are inseparable for me, Millennium and Ebola. I hear one, I think of the other. However Ebola is a very real monster, and I've watched it's spread this time, and that old fear is back. There are more survivors, but it's a nightmare of a virus. The fear is so great there that people panic and run. They think they are being given the virus by the people in the frightening suits and helmets... They are ostracized if they survive, for fear they will spread the virus. WE had Ebola REston in Virginia in the 80's or 90's in monkeys. It was not human deadly, it was monkey deadly, and airborne. Too close for comfort.

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Sorry Say Ebola and I rant on. Hunger, famine, pestilence, war, rumor of war, drought, extreme weather... all the signs are here.

The epidemic that is most frightening is the epidemic of blatant hatred. The world is hateful and angry and ready to kill. That scares me.

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