State of the World's Plants: One in five of the world's plants at risk of extinction

If it's not climate change it's something else, every where we look, humans are on a destructive path, it's almost as we want everything to fail.

Not surprising with the "higher need" for food, and living space, (it's actually not a need for more food, it's more wasting what there is), that nature must move out of the way, for here we come.

SOURCE

A global report says 21 per cent of the plants named in a new database are at risk of extinction, and 12 per cent of the world's threatened plants are in Australia.

Researchers said one of the major factors threatening the plant species with extinction was agricultural change and the need for land for urbanisation.

An Australian expert said a change in land clearing laws in Queensland had already resulted in the clearing of an estimated 200,000 hectares of threatened species, and there was concern that New South Wales could be heading down a similar road.

There is some good news in the bad news... I think

Professor Willis said scientists discovered an average of 2,000 new plant species each year. "We're finding new plants for food, for fuel, for drugs," she said.

a reply to: Mianeye

This is important news. Thanks. The world is truly in a state of flux right now; more so than other times.

It's not easy to incorporate a new plant into your diet without having some sort of side effects either mentally or physiologically.

Agricultural management, food distribution and over-consumption are a big problem.
We cut down natural forests and replace them with monoculture to feed the animals we eat and to make as much profit as fast as possible.
Soils get depleted so we spray them with fertilizers more and more each day until nothing is left but chemical dust.
It's no excuse to cut forest because population is growing, billions of tons of food getting wasted per year just in the US alone.
How many people throw away food because it has one dark spot on it or it is one day out of date.
Every citizen wants a nice home with a clean mowed lawn, while you could replace those lawns with a sustainable vegetable garden for example.
You ask yourself what in the world this has to do with plant species getting extinct, i will let you answer this yourself and form your own opinion, to me it's obvious.

ETA. It's not just food production as stated in the article but also the building of new homes/habitat for humans to live in.
How many houses are unoccupied for years, falling into ruins, while the neighboring forest is being cut to build a brand new luxury villa and that nice looking good smelling flower is being destr... ow well I got my swimming pool.

Well maybe the gubmints of the world can just ask their alien buddies what they think we ought to do. Slowing the worst offenders roll is a good idea like the ocean pollution and over fishings so we can continue to generate vast amounts of fertilizers.

Then maybe save whats left by using all those fancy space ships to collect seeds/specimens in record time.
Maybe send a big ass laser into space to vaporize trash out of the ocean being careful not to waste any whales or dolphins of course.

Or just use the space mirror technique pioneered by the Russians to power drone trash barges serviced by ex-members of congress complete with living quarters and kitchen facilities.

a reply to: Mianeye

As I and many others have stated on ATS.... Over-population will destroy the Earth.... eventually. We can't go on like it is..something needs to change.

But guess what?

Governments and Councils want to continue building all over these Lands. They have no clue do they?

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

Over-population can be reduced or solved easily. Well depends with what you compare it with.
There is no population growth in developed countries.
Population growth is located in third world countries, advancing these countries to a first world country will solve the problem and population will balance and even decline.