Tag Archives: extinction

Scientists warn of impending turtle dove British extinction

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Turtle Dove Extinction

Malta Today:  Turtle dove numbers in Britain have plummeted by 93% since 1970 and the migratory bird may be rendered entirely extinct from Britain by 2021

Staff Reporter
21 January 2015, 2:26pm

“Turtle dove populations in Britain are declining so rapidly that they may be entirely gone from the country in a eight years’ time, scientists from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds have warned.

“Turtle dove numbers in Britain have dropped by a whopping 93% since 1970, the fastest decline of a bird towards extinction in British history.

“Moreover, scientists warned that turtle doves are simply the worst affected of the migratory birds that spend the winter in Africa and fly to Britain in the springtime to breed. Eight out of Britain’s twelve most threatened bird species are African migratory birds” (read more).

Save Endangered Saolas from Imminent Extinction

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Target: Minister of the Environment Nguyễn Minh Quang
Goal: Stop accidental killing of endangered saolas
Saolas are beautiful and unique animals, but they’re also incredibly endangered.  Source: forcechange.com

Please sign the petition.

Last Days for Rhinos and Elephants

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Purchases of small trinkets support organized crime and wipe elephants from the face of the Earth forever.

Life ­– a status report

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Species are disappearing quickly — researchers can only guess how quickly.

Source: www.nature.com

GR:  The status report on life is only an estimate.  Our lack of knowledge of Earth’s unique creatures would be embarrassing if the great dying we’re causing did not evoke more potent emotions.

Serow: Eaten to the Brink of Extinction

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The little-known Sumatran serow is hunted and traded in Peninsular Malaysia, in violation of wildlife laws.

Source: www.thestar.com.my

GR:  The ultimate selfish act:  Eat a species to extinction–not in ignorance, and not to survive, just for potential health benefits for a few wealthy humans.  Of course, eating wild animals to survive will also extinguish them.

New Report Shows Colombian Biodiversity Endangered by Humans

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BOGOTA – Biodiversity in Colombia, one of the richest on the planet, faces a “discouraging” future after centuries of human degradation of the continental ecosystems, according to a report released in Bogota.

The 2014 Biodiversity Report, prepared by the Alexander von Humboldt Research Institute, offers an exhaustive analysis of the status, trends and challenges of biodiversity in Colombia.l

Source: laht.com

GR:  The human impact has many facets, but at its root is population growth.  Construction, invasive species, deforestation, toxic chemicals, and greenhouse gas are all increasing along with population.  Colombia, growing slower than many other countries, has tripled its population to near 50,000,000 since 1960, and shows no signs of slowing.

Economic growth and climate change

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dust-storm-002Climate change isn’t the only problem with our addiction to growth.  Growth is causing a Great Death of species and ecosystems.  Perhaps no economist and few politicians care if they ever see a bird or blade of grass again, but is a silent planet of stone and dust truly their goal? Do they believe that a magical door in space will let them go to a better world when this one is dead?  I guess they are so concerned with growth that they don’t consider other issues.  They’re like a driver checking their bank balance as their BMW races toward the red taillights ahead.

The following by  on Climate Change, Politics

With the coming G20 talks about to kick off in Brisbane, the focus of the agenda centres on economic growth as the panacea for all our troubles. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey have been adamant in their focus upon the need to increase economic growth globally. It’s rare, if not impossible to find anyone in the mainstream public debate who questions the wisdom of ever-increasing economic growth. And yet there is a major underlying problem in our collective worship and addiction to growth – climate change.

Economic growth, rising affluence and a growing world population have been the major contributors to the environmental crisis we now face. Witness for instance our ever-escalating global greenhouse gas emissions. Despite four decades of political discussion about the urgency of climate change, the only times we have been able to halt this inexorable rise has been during periods of economic recession, such as our recent global financial crisis.

Click to read more

Parrots Over Puerto Rico: An Illustrated Children’s Book Celebrating the Spirit of Conservation

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GR:  Will the Puerto Rican parrot survive?  It is the only remaining native parrot in Puerto Rico.  Parrots of the region began disappearing in the 1700’s due to logging, farming, and pet collecting.  The species’ prospects have improved, but the World Conservation Union still lists it as critically endangered. In 2012, there were only 58–80 individuals in the wild and 300 individuals in captivity. Considering the numbers that persist, I wondered if conservation efforts over the past 40 years have done enough.

This blog post from Brain Pickings describes the species’ step back from the brink of extinction.

“Most children’s books are full of animals — as protagonists, as pets, as age-old standbys in fairy tales and alphabet primers alike. But, as Jon Mooallem poignantly observed in his bittersweet love letter to wildlife, by the time each generation of children grows up, countless species of animals that roamed Earth during their childhood have gone extinct — today, scientists estimate that one species ceases to exist every twenty minutes. Perhaps whatever chance we have of reversing this tragedy lies in translating our children’s inherent love of animal characters into a tangible grown-up love of animal species, the kind of love that protects them from growing extinct, preserves their natural habitat, and honors the complex dynamics of ecosystems.”

Source: www.brainpickings.org

Development could lead to extinction of rare Australian bird

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The critically endangered Regent Honeyeater could be at risk of extinction if plans to develop an industrial estate in New South Wales in Australia goes ahead, experts have found.

The bird is endemic to South Eastern Australia and this site contains one of the most important breeding habitats for this extremely rare bird, whose population has declined by more than 80 percent over the last 24 years.

“We are now certain that Regent Honeyeaters rely on this site for food and to breed,” said Samantha Vine, Head of Conservation at BirdLife Australia. “Development of this site will be catastrophic for this imperilled species.”

Source: www.wildlifeextra.com

GR:  Not another extinction in Australia; right?