Biologist warn of early stages of Earth's sixth mass extinction event

Biologist warn of early stages of Earth's sixth mass extinction event

In a new review of scientific literature and analysis of data published in Science, an international team of scientists cautions that the loss and decline of animals is contributing to what appears to be the early days of the planet's sixth mass biological extinction event.

Since 1500, more than 320 terrestrial vertebrates have become extinct. Populations of the remaining species show a 25 percent average decline in abundance. The situation is similarly dire for invertebrate animal life.

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Across vertebrates, 16 to 33 percent of all species are estimated to be globally threatened or endangered. Large animals -- described as megafauna and including elephants, rhinoceroses, polar bears and countless other species worldwide -- face the highest rate of decline, a trend that matches previous extinction events.

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Although these species represent a relatively low percentage of the animals at risk, their loss would have trickle-down effects that could shake the stability of other species and, in some cases, even human health.

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The scientists also detailed a troubling trend in invertebrate defaunation. Human population has doubled in the past 35 years; in the same period, the number of invertebrate animals -- such as beetles, butterflies, spiders and worms -- has decreased by 45 percent.

Well, that's sobering. Hopefully, we can get our heads out of our collective backsides and begin meaningful changes to ensure our survival.

I'm tired of the climate change debate. Let's just start with the obvious stuff we know we are responsible for and can fix....toxic waste, general pollution, indiscriminate use of pesticides and antibiotics, agricultural mismanagement, food waste, overfishing, poor land management, etc... The targets are nearly endless.

Climate change, you say? There has always been climate change. It was true before we got here, and will be true long after we are gone. Debating that issue, while almost completely ignoring the others, is a huge waste of time.

a reply to: loam

And while previous extinctions have been driven by natural planetary transformations or catastrophic asteroid strikes, the current die-off can be associated to human activity, a situation that the lead author Rodolfo Dirzo, a professor of biology at Stanford, designates an era of "Anthropocene defaunation."

From link in the op

So humans are causing the sixth great extinction event, yet how many will deny this?

Drill baby drill!!!!

Based on everything I've seen, we have no chance of keeping industrial civilization afloat in the long run. The best we can do is use exotic tech to prolong our stay here. I don't think there's much time left. I'm not sure there's a point in throwing out a year, or range of years, most people probably already assume I'm nuts for the beginning few sentences. I don't think it matters what you, I, or anyone else on this forum says or does, but I do have hope that there are people in positions where it matters, that can see the big-picture, and are allocating necessary resources, to get a chunk of us off this planet.

a reply to: loam

Very sad.

There is no stopping, at least in the short term, a reduction in global biodiversity due to human needs.

Consequently, there needs to be a serious review of threatened species management.

We need to look after our non-human friends that we share this planet with, I'd like to think there is a way for human development and our friends to exist in unison - one species existing at the expense of the other(s) is just not on.

Flagged, although sad.

a reply to: loam

From Source:

the number of invertebrate animals -- such as spiders -- has decreased by 45 percent.

I'm sorry, but I have no problem with this.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

It is in mankinds nature to move into an area, consume all it has to offer with no thought to regeneration, when that area is depleted and we have reproduced to swell our numbers, we spread and multiply.
We are a cancer upon this world.

You said that you hope that people are working to get a chunk of us off planet.
They are, but it will be the rich, the greedy, the entitled, and the corporate/military (the very ones destroying Earth) that will be the ones on those ships mark my words.

You hope we can leave here before we make it a barren poisoned wasteland.
The rest of the galaxy hopes we don't.

i feel this link is relevant. it lists all the recent mass animal deaths. i found it a few months back, and i gotta say... its quite eye opening, if not totally jaw dropping.

cool thing about the site is it lists the animal deaths, plus the source link for each source. its worth a gander.

Mass animal deaths

a reply to: GreenManXphile

Can you fix the link? It doesn't work.

ETA:

Here it is.

just fixed it. sorry about that!
a reply to: loam

a reply to: HumansEh

There was a time, the majority of time humans have existed that we would move before depleting the resources. Everyone knew how the natural system worked. We would move and use resources but before these resources were all consumed we would move to another area allowing the environment to recover we did this as a species for hundreds of thousands of years.

We were a spiritual people, then we traded this spirituality for coin, for agriculture. After we made this choice all the negative of human society emerged. We lost our connection with the natural world. We went from living and adapting to our environment to reshaping our environment to suit our needs regardless of the environmental impact.

If you take a wild animal and put them into a zoo, what happens to the animal, insanity occurs.

We live in a zoo.

a reply to: HumansEh

I don't think the galaxy has "hope". It's inhabitants may or may not know of our existence.

If I remove morality, I see a superior subsection that will keep going where the rest of us die out.

After we are off this planet, without the useless weight of the inferior majority, perhaps we can be more wise and maybe even join a galactic order, if one even exists among intelligent life.

I don't necessarily see the poor, or rich as being inferior or superior, good or evil, but I do think that there are too many stupid people who consume too much, and are a reason in which some advanced technologies are not open to the public.

Perhaps if we take the best and brightest, they will well enough relate to one another, and therefore empathize, and not have to worry about a lot of incompetence that currently are the norm.

It really all is highly speculative.

We are not much different than other forms of life, only in that we are the dominant species on this planet, and so our capacities are greater to create, destroy, and consume.

Another excellent thread by Loam.

My comment ... in order for planet Earth to repair and survive, the human population must be severely reduced. And the survivors must be intelligent enough to be able to continue on in harmony with a proper environment. I don't know if humans are smart enough to do that.

It's all about respect.

Spiders matter. Every living creature matters in the eco chain, and it seems only humans have the ultimate amount of disrespect and self-importance and arrogance that allows them to destroy habitats of other creatures to build more ugly concrete buildings and structures than we should ever need, create machinery and combine chemicals that annihilate other creatures and plant life, destroy without thought, mainly for profit...the ultimate entitlement. We don't even respect each other.

Maybe it's not too late to look at the damage the war machines and Monsanto and their ilk are causing are forcing on all of us. But we've probably already set the inevitable in motion. If we don't start to respect and live with, and yes, repair, the planet, soon it won't be ours to disrespect anymore either.

ETA: And yes, I cry when trees are cut down and when I see "road kill."

originally posted by: BestinShow
a reply to: loam

From Source:

the number of invertebrate animals -- such as spiders -- has decreased by 45 percent.

I'm sorry, but I have no problem with this.

Yes, but if spiders go it would wreck a whole ecosystem.

Seeing as we are spending billions on weapons and destruction, couldn't we spend some money trying to use those species DNA to keep them alive? What about bringing some back to life? I know it wouldn't be a good idea with some species, as they never co-existed with men........but what about those that did? Those that have disappeared because of us? Would that create a biological negative chain reaction perhaps?

a reply to: loam

I think the worst change that ever happened here in the past decades is HUMAN change, we are systematically destroying everything on our path while escaping to virtual realities and our own little worlds...

No wonder Agent Smith in the Matrix said "Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet.". And he was right all along.We are just monkeys with culture, probably the worst kind ever lived.

originally posted by: BestinShow
a reply to: loam

From Source:

the number of invertebrate animals -- such as spiders -- has decreased by 45 percent.

I'm sorry, but I have no problem with this.

Will you have a problem when the food that these spiders would have eaten are crawling all over your house?


When the flies/aphids/lice etc become so numerous as to destroy crops etc?
Oh right! Not to worry... our good friends at Monsanto can sell you some poisonous crap to deal with them.
Yay!

Sorry I'm being flippant with you, nothing personal I know you weren't advocating species extinction, I don't like spiders myself, but I won't kill one. I actually encourage them in a few instances.

Vacuum in nature will always be filled, with one thing or another.

a reply to: Shuye

yeah... but agent smith was a character in a movie... plus he was just a corrupted program... sooooo theres really no need to take his word for things.

originally posted by: FlyersFan
Another excellent thread by Loam.

My comment ... in order for planet Earth to repair and survive, the human population must be severely reduced. And the survivors must be intelligent enough to be able to continue on in harmony with a proper environment. I don't know if humans are smart enough to do that.

Agreed Flyers, as for population reduction I always remember my father saying that wars are engineered to cull humanity. Took me decades to understand what he meant.
As for the survivors of the next 'cull' being intelligent enough....
Our track record of learning isn't great...
I don't know either if humans are smart enough to live in an environment as opposed to off it, the next 50 years will tell.

originally posted by: GreenManXphile
a reply to: Shuye

yeah... but agent smith was a character in a movie... plus he was just a corrupted program... sooooo theres really no need to take his word for things.

You could apply that logic to all the 'holy' books in the world.

a reply to: FlyersFan

There is enough planet for all the humans on it if we were just smarter about the things we do. We tend to take the fast, easy, selfish, and profitable ways instead, allowing that to rule instead of what is best for the planet and everyone and everything on it.