Posted on 10/01/2014 7:07:58 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The number of wild animals on Earth has halved in the past 40 years, according to a new analysis. Creatures across land, rivers and the seas are being decimated as humans kill them for food in unsustainable numbers, while polluting or destroying their habitats, the research by scientists at WWF and the Zoological Society of London found.
“If half the animals died in London zoo next week it would be front page news,” said Professor Ken Norris, ZSL’s director of science. “But that is happening in the great outdoors. This damage is not inevitable but a consequence of the way we choose to live.” He said nature, which provides food and clean water and air, was essential for human wellbeing.
“We have lost one half of the animal population and knowing this is driven by human consumption, this is clearly a call to arms and we must act now,” said Mike Barratt, director of science and policy at WWF. He said more of the Earth must be protected from development and deforestation, while food and energy had to be produced sustainably.
The steep decline of animal, fish and bird numbers was calculated by analysing 10,000 different populations, covering 3,000 species in total. This data was then, for the first time, used to create a representative “Living Planet Index” (LPI), reflecting the state of all 45,000 known vertebrates.
“We have all heard of the FTSE 100 index, but we have missed the ultimate indicator, the falling trend of species and ecosystems in the world,” said Professor Jonathan Baillie, ZSL’s director of conservation. “If we get [our response] right, we will have a safe and sustainable way of life for the future,” he said.
If not, he added, the overuse of resources would ultimately lead to conflicts.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
It’s because of all the estrogen in the water table from lib women on birth control peeing. They’re shrinking wildlife penises and forcing wildlife females into false pregnancies! /s
“The issue is never the issue. The issue is always the revolution.”
—David Horowitz
Here in Texas wildlife has suffered from two things: coyotes and fireants. The fireants kill anything on the ground and have decimated the quail and turkey populations. Anything that survives the ants (rabbits, young deer) is in danger of being taken by the coyotes.
Screaming Asspararugus!
As a kid I was given a subscription to their magazine by my grandmother. It had many glossy photos of animals. It also had sad stories of the world coming to an end. I learned by reading other magazines and books that the world is not and that groups like the WWF use fear tactics to get money. Remember that PETA is killing 99% of the animals it “rescues”.
And 50,000 human babies.
wildlife population in Pennsylvania is through the roof.
It would be cool to add a sea turtle eggs photo as one of the protected items, perhaps next to the unborn child.
Beautiful!
I got some coyotes. What will you take in trade?
Actually, it's happening much faster that than.
On Monday I took a walk in a natural area near where I live and saw 6 deer. On Tuesday I walked on the same trail and saw 3 deer.
50% decline in wildlife in just 24 hours!
Reformed red-diaper babies like Horowitz, old school anti-communists, and intellectually honest students of history understand this very well.
Unfortunately these comprise a very small minority in the US.
I would like to make a homework assignment for you all...
What percentage of the earth do human beings inhabit?
Part 2, what percentage of the “habitable” earth do human beings inhabit?
Half the fun is finding the answer. I think you will be shocked and then ticked off at the author of this piece.
yes,i know the pool room burnt down,left 35 homless.
I’m betting they borrowed their statisticians from Al Gore.
Same here but we had foxes too. Now the quail are an endangered species and mining, oil and gas exploration and development are shut down.
Three things contributed to the quail decline:
First, the feds stopped their aggressive coyote control programs, including poison bait.
Second, a generation back there were loads of small homesteads with less than a square. Every one had several acres in wheat, barley and oats and small reservoirs on the property. Wheat for the folks, barley for Coors, and oats for the horses. Feed, cover, and water for the wildlife. Plus, any time a coyote was sighted, everyone would drop what they were doing and shoot the damn thing. Those homesteads are gone and the property has been taken over by sagebrush.
Third, varmint hunting now requires a small game license.
Not to worry, when the wolves get established they'll kill all the coyotes - just as the coyotes cleaned out the foxes. The quail will be back, as the wolves concentrate on elk, sheep and cows.
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