E.O. Wilson - Half Of All Species May Face Extinction By 2100

[hatrack]

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- As many as half the world's species may face extinction by 2100 because of pollution, climate change, human population growth and other influences, a renowned scientist dubbed "the father of biodiversity" told an audience here.

Edward O. Wilson spoke Wednesday to a Montana State University crowd estimated at more than 2,000 after he came to Bozeman to accept the George R. Stibitz Computer and Communications Pioneer Award. The award by the American Computer Museum of Bozeman and MSU's computer science department was in recognition of Wilson's promotion of an electronic "Encyclopedia of Life" to store information about every species on Earth.

Wilson, a Harvard University professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, has done pioneering research in biology and developed a field known as sociobiology, which seeks to link behavior in humans and animals to their evolutionary heritage.

Steps to prevent the broad loss of species can be undertaken and the 21st century ultimately may become known as "the century of the environment," Wilson said.

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http://www.heraldsun.com/nationworld/14-775997.html

[nam78_two]

1. depressing....

x(

[tk2kewl]

2. I hope it's the republican half

[ThomCat]

4. I wouldn't even wish it on them. Nature needs parasites.

x(

[tex-wyo-dem]

3. Depressing, indeed...

my greatest hope is that people will wake up very soon and understand what the world faces, what we stand to lose and what we all need to collectively do to avert this potentially huge disaster. I truly believe that this is the greatest challenge that we all face as a species.

By working to assure the survival of all other living things on this planet, we will, by extention, assure our own survival.