Endangered species

Discussion in 'Environment & Conservation' started by waltky, Nov 21, 2015.

  1. waltky

    waltky Well-Known Member

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    Aww, poor koala bear...
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    Dead koala found with ears cut off in Australia
    Sat, Nov 11, 2017 - A koala has been found dead in Australia with both its ears cut off, the latest in a spate of animal mutilations that police yesterday called “troublesome and disgusting.”
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    Nov. 10, 2017 -- A Florida dairy farm is under criminal investigation after the release of an undercover video showing employees beating cows, police said Thursday.
     
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2017
  2. Reiver

    Reiver Well-Known Member

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    Mass extinction events created by human activity? Yep, let's call it evolution for the crack
     
  3. xwsmithx

    xwsmithx Well-Known Member

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    Yes, but not nearly as much as when we save terminally ill children and feed the starving in Africa, so the effect is minimal, especially when you consider how many species humans have wiped out.

    Are you suggesting individual species aren't worth saving or are you suggesting that the entire ecosystem of an endangered species is necessary for its survival?
     
  4. xwsmithx

    xwsmithx Well-Known Member

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    Just for the hell of it, I'd like to offer arguments for and against saving species.

    For: Individual species of plants and animals are unique in the history of the planet, never to be duplicated. Once they're gone, they're gone. (Cloning might bring some back temporarily, but we don't have enough DNA samples to recreate a stable population.) As the primary preservers AND destroyers of species, it's up to us whether the most vulnerable species survive. Generally speaking, all it costs is money and will. Humans are responsible for the destruction of thousands of species already. Let's stop adding to the total and save the rest for our kids and grandkids.

    Against: 99.9% of all species that have ever existed are already extinct. A few more hundreds or thousands won't really make any difference. As for life itself, the idea that humans could extinguish that is extreme hubris. We can't even kill off the ants around the house. If we wiped out every species except rats & roaches, they would evolve to fill every possible ecological niche. Life is far more stubborn than we tend to give it credit for.

    So which one am I? For.
     
  5. Moi621

    Moi621 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Suggesting nothing.
    Try read what I uploaded.

    Declarative is not suggesting.
     
  6. jay runner

    jay runner Banned

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    Crows are very, very smart. They'll eat a watermelon through a hole they make in the top side, then turn the melon over so the farmer don't know.
     
  7. waltky

    waltky Well-Known Member

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    Lynx no longer need special protections...
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    Lynx no longer need protections
    Sat, Jan 13, 2018 - Wildlife officials in the US on Thursday declared Canada lynx recovered and said the snow-loving wild cats no longer need special protections following steps to preserve their habitat.
     
  8. waltky

    waltky Well-Known Member

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    Most sea turtles are being born female due to stress of climate change...
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    Climate Change Affecting Gender of Endangered Green Sea Turtles
    January 13, 2018 — Researchers say climate change is responsible for the vast majority of green sea turtles in the northern Great Barrier Reef off Australia being female.
     
  9. waltky

    waltky Well-Known Member

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    Spanish police shut down illegal turtle farm selling endangered species from across the world...
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    Spanish police shut down illegal turtle farm selling endangered species from across the world

    23 Aug.`18 - More than 1,000 turtles and 750 eggs were seized, including specimens of 14 of the 50 most endangered species in the world


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    Illegal turtle farm raid nets massive haul including endangered species worth $12G each, officials say
    The operators of Europe's largest illegal turtle farm were shell-shocked Thursday during a Spanish police raid that rescued more than 1,100 turtles -- including endangered species selling for nearly $12,000 each, officials said.
     
  10. tomfoo13ry

    tomfoo13ry Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Well, technically it is natural selection. The difference I think you're looking for is that we, as humans, have the rare distinction of possessing the cognitive faculties to actually make a choice in the matter.
     

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