Almost a million species could be extinct by 2050?

I came across an interesting article and I thought I'd share it. It talks about how one quarter of the land animals on earth could be extinct by 2050. It also says that cutting greenhouse gases and storing carbon dioxide can help prevent it. What are everyone's thoughts on this?

news.bbc.co.uk...

Almost a million species could be extinct by 2050?

Including humanity unless we stop f*cking around having wars !

I'm pretty sure that about 99% of all species that have ever lived on earth have gone extinct. That should give you a reference. We are surely speeding up our own deaths and are indirectly causing those species extinction, but not directly.

An example of us directly effecting the environment would be the dodo bird.

Even though scientists on the Discovery channel (it has to be true) said that this would happen I can't stop thinking that it has to be just a little bit EXAGGERATED.

Originally posted by Informered
Even though scientists on the Discovery channel (it has to be true) said that this would happen I can't stop thinking that it has to be just a little bit EXAGGERATED

I don't think so, we have a great many number of species (I don't have a figure) and a million species could include those most of us may have ever seen or heard about.

Even if a million species go extinct, another million will take their position. Am I right in assuming that?

I'm disappointed that Homo sapiens didn't make the list. :/

Here's a quote from the link. It's a bit incoherent, but I completely feel the message.

Dr Klaus Toepfer, the head of the United Nations Environment Programme, said: "If one million species become extinct... it is not just the plant and animal kingdoms and the beauty of the planet that will suffer.

"Billions of people, especially in the developing world, will suffer too as they rely on Nature for such essential goods and services as food, shelter and medicines".