Ocean life on the brink of mass extinctions: study

[Elmore Furth]

People just don't want to believe in tipping points.

OSLO, June 21, 2011 (Reuters) — Life in the oceans is at imminent risk of the worst spate of extinctions in millions of years due to threats such as climate change and over-fishing, a study showed on Tuesday.

Time was running short to counter hazards such as a collapse of coral reefs or a spread of low-oxygen "dead zones," according to the study led by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO).

"We now face losing marine species and entire marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, within a single generation," according to the study by 27 experts to be presented to the United Nations.

"Unless action is taken now, the consequences of our activities are at a high risk of causing, through the combined effects of climate change, over-exploitation, pollution and habitat loss, the next globally significant extinction event in the ocean," it said.

Scientists list five mass extinctions over 600 million years -- most recently when the dinosaurs vanished 65 million years ago, apparently after an asteroid struck. Among others, the Permian period abruptly ended 250 million years ago.

Ocean life on the brink of mass extinctions: study

[sakabatou]

1. We seem to be boned as a species ourselves

[Gman]

2. Earth will recover

I once Homo Sapiens is gone.

[saras]

4. Earth will recover, but mammals may not

[Dept of Beer]

5. Once the bigger one is out of the way the little ones may have a fighting chance.

[stuntcat]

7. that's what gets me

it just kills me more every time I hear people repeating "we can't kill the Earth", "Earth will be fine". Just like the George Carlin bit where it seems like he's saying that as long as we can accept humans wiping themselves out then there's no worries, the Earth will survive no matter what! That's a lot of people's final answer in this discussion. And what does it mean? That even if humans turn the Earth into a big Mars it doesn't matter?

I am sorry, it horrifies me that humans will completely wipe out so many beautiful species. We're just now starting to realize these animals have conscience and even identities, right as it's gotten too late to undo how we're ruining all their futures. This is the greatest Evil I can think of.

Oh but there's nothing we can do to blow this big rock out of existence :party: :eyes:

[Odin2005]

9. I agree, I get pissed off my such nihilistic attitudes.

And then there are the other bunch of nihilists who justify the extinctions saying that if "they can't adapt to humanity then they deserve to go extinct, that's how evolution works".

:wtf: :crazy: :puke:

[txlibdem]

10. I think those folks are just trying to make a clear connection between those species and humans

The point I come away with is that our ignorant, polluting and wasteful ways are going to kill us, along with millions of other species.

Think "Canary in a coal mine" not "we don't care about killing off a bunch species." When we have killed the ocean ecosystem we will soon join them in extinction. We are connected to the oceans in ways that most people don't even understand: 60% of the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere comes from the ocean.

[Marblehead]

3. Mitsubishi

own vast amounts of frozen tuna and are trying to fish them to extinction thus raising the price of their frozen stock. They will be able to corner the market and ask any price they want. That is capitalism run a muck. sick shit

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. See also…

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=300468&mesg_id=300468

[Elmore Furth]

8. Oops, sorry. I didn't see the other post.

Thanks for giving me the heads up.

I'm not trying to jam up the band width with duplicate posts.