Scientists: We're Hurtling Toward Mass Extinctions

[amborin]

Next Mass Extinction an Eyeblink Away: Scientists


Life on Earth is hurtling towards extinction levels comparable to those following the dinosaur-erasing asteroid impact of 65 million years ago, propelled forward by human activities, say scientists.

This week, scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, announced that if current extinction rates continue unabated, and vulnerable species disappear, Earth could lose three-quarters of its species as soon as three centuries from now.

"That's a geological eyeblink," said Nicholas Matzke, a graduate student at UC Berkeley and author of a paper describing the doom-and-gloom scenario.
"Once you lose species, you don't get them back. It takes millions of years to rebound from a mass extinction event."

This means that not, too far in the future, backyards might not be buzzing with bees, bombarded by seagulls or shaded by redwood trees. And while that might seem far off, species are already disappearing on a global scale.

snip

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/03/03-4

[DeadEyeDyck]

1. Dec 21, 2012?

[alterfurz]

6. recently seen bumpersticker: "The Mayans were optimists"

[SpiralHawk]

11. "The Sun will awaken and help us." - Mayan Daykeepers

incredible 'monster prominence' colossal solar flare video from this week:

http://theweek.com/article/index/212766/nasas-incredible-solar-flare-video

[alterfurz]

16. "Some change their ways when they see the light; others not until they feel the heat."

Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself. -- Erasmus

Lead me on, let me stand. / I am tired, I am weak / I am worn / Through the storm / Through the night / Lead me on / To the light. -- Thomas Dorsey / "Precious Lord, Take My Hand"

[SpiralHawk]

18. "Same as it ever was." - TH

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JcpP6nT4MbI/TJVvzag1l7I/AAAAAAAABEY/EmRXh6sdB6Y/s1600/Mayan+Prophecies+Crop+Circles+buddy+huggins.jpg

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful
wife
And you may ask yourself-Well...How did I get here?

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. The Sixht Mass extinction

Those of us who read foreign press saw this a while ago. It is called the Holocene Extinction.

[glinda]

3. Can we start arresting and trying BB, Kochs, etc.... now?

[tabatha]

4. I'd like to see the extinction

of delusional Republicans.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. Three centuries from now...humans and cockroaches. nt

[TBF]

7. You're optimistic if you think humans will make it. nt

[Curmudgeoness]

8. Humans are like cockroaches. I think that they will continue to swarm

the earth for at least that long. Talk ten thousand years and I would doubt we will make it.

[TBF]

10. Well you do have a point there. nt

[The Doctor.]

9. Within 100 years, our decendents will punish the dissemination of lies and anti-science

with Death.

What these assholes get away with now will not be tolerated by the future that they have helped to destroy. When our great-grandchildren trace the destruction of their world to corporate greed and personal irresponsibility, they will take very harsh steps to crush such destructive behaviors.

I just wish we could start on that now. But as civilized people striving against corporate power, we would only make things worse by doing so.

I take cold solace knowing that such powers will only face annihilation in the future. But annihilation will be their fate one way or another.

[ladjf]

15. I think you are overrating the judgment of our descendants.

nt

[hobbit709]

12. Mass extinctions have happened before

chances are they will happen again. This just may be the first self-induced one.

[pintobean]

13. Does this mean that it's just an educated guess?

"They also looked at the number of species lost in recent history, and found that while rates are dramatically higher than expected, the percentage of vanishing species is not elevated - yet."

[ladjf]

14. "Who needs all them species anyway"? nt

[InvisibleTouch]

17. It's been underway for the past couple of centuries or so.

The only bright spot is that the engineer of it all will go down with the rest. I'm sad about the rest, though.