We are killing the planet

Discussion in 'Current Events' started by EarthSky, May 8, 2019.

  1. EarthSky

    EarthSky Well-Known Member

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    A new UN report that viewed over 15,000 scientific studies as been released and it paints a bleak picture of what human activity is doing to ecosystems all over this planet. Loss of species and habitat do to human activity is now directly threatening life on this planet. The report estimates that at least 1 million species are on the brink of extinction globally and could be gone within decades. The rate of extinction is happening faster than at any time in human history and perhaps faster than any of the other great extinctions with the possible exception of the asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Some excerpts from Nature:

    "About 75% of land and 66% of ocean areas have been “significantly altered” by people, driven in large part by the production of food, according to the IPBES report, which will be released in full later this year. Crop and livestock operations currently co-opt more than 33% of Earth’s land surface and 75% of its freshwater resources.

    Agricultural activities are also some of the largest contributors to human emissions of greenhouse gases. They account for roughly 25% of total emissions due to the use of fertilizers and the conversion of areas such as tropical forests to grow crops or raise livestock such as cattle. Agricultural threats to ecosystems will only increase as the world’s population continues to grow, according to the IPBES analysis.

    The next biggest threats to nature are the exploitation of plants and animals through harvesting, logging, hunting and fishing; climate change; pollution and the spread of invasive species. The IPBES report finds that the average abundance of native plants, animals and insects has fallen in most major ecosystems by at least 20% since 1900 because of invasive species.

    The report draws inextricable links between biodiversity loss and climate change. An estimated 5% of all species would be threatened with extinction by 2 °C of warming above pre-industrial levels — a threshold that the world could breach in the next few decades, unless greenhouse-gas emissions are drastically reduced. Earth could lose 16% of its species if the average global temperature rise exceeds 4.3 °C."


    The report concludes that:

    "Without “transformative changes” to the world’s economic, social and political systems to address this crisis, the IPBES panel projects that major biodiversity losses will continue to 2050 and beyond. “We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide,” says IPBES chair Robert Watson, an atmospheric chemist at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK."

    https://www.nature.com/articles/d41...EJSuuRPOK4yjusRbzYI9s7dMQs2tLoZbuvhrEtcJPQgN0


    As someone involved in the sciences, I have been aware of the kind of drastic changes in global ecosystems for a long time but this is a wake up call.



    Do you think as a species we have the capability or political will to save this little jewel of a planet we call home?
     
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  2. vman12

    vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Translation: Please ignore the fact that 99% of the species that ever lived on Earth have gone extinct.
     
  3. PatriotNews

    PatriotNews Well-Known Member

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    Weird philosophy to hold. What should we do, kill the humans who are destroying the planet?
     
  4. EarthSky

    EarthSky Well-Known Member

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    Translation: please ignore the fact that it is humans that are driving this extinction and that we are dependent on functioning ecosystems as any other species.

    Do you want to live on a dead planet or do you think there is something here worth saving?
     
  5. EarthSky

    EarthSky Well-Known Member

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    Strawman!

    Who said anything about killing humans?

    I was asking if we have the ability or political will to stop this human made extinction event.

    Apparently not from the posts so far.
     
  6. vman12

    vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Sure we are, says the people with 100 years of data trying to convince us that despite 99% of species going extinct naturally, we're to blame.
     
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  7. nra37922

    nra37922 Well-Known Member

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    Less than twelve years to go...
     
  8. vman12

    vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Maybe if we act now we can save the Megalodons.
     
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  9. vman12

    vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Are we down to five polar bears yet?
     
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  10. EarthSky

    EarthSky Well-Known Member

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    So you think what is happening now is just naturally happening without us? We are having no effect on rates of extinction?
     
  11. vman12

    vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Yes, if human beings are in the 99% that go extinct, guess what?

    99% of species will continue to go extinct, ad infinitum.
     
  12. EarthSky

    EarthSky Well-Known Member

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    I was hoping to keep away from the strawmen and have a serious discussion. Did you read the report I linked to or are you just knee-jerking some denial hat we have all heard before.
     
  13. Ddyad

    Ddyad Well-Known Member

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    Shhhh! That's supposed to be a secret. ;-)
     
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  14. SiNNiK

    SiNNiK Well-Known Member

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    Depends, how much of my money are you after this time?
     
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  15. EarthSky

    EarthSky Well-Known Member

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    So you don't care that human activity is driving this extinction?
     
  16. 10A

    10A Chief Deplorable Past Donor

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    If we are killing the planet, the solution is to kill humans. Empty half the Earth of its humans. It's the only way to save the planet. Start with libs.
     
    Last edited: May 8, 2019
  17. EarthSky

    EarthSky Well-Known Member

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    That's right. The planets dying but it's all about you and your money.
     
  18. SiNNiK

    SiNNiK Well-Known Member

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    Why are you so hurt about it? It's not like you actually worked on any of this tripe you posted, it was 99% c&p. Your investment in this is entirely emotional.
     
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  19. vman12

    vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    If you had anything in there but global warming nonsense it might be a discussion.

    You also ignore the fact that the planet spent 99% of it's history above 6k PPM CO2 concentrations, and 10-20k years ago experience massive sea level rise for a few thousand years.

    You ignore the massive extinctions caused by the ice ages and ignore the fact that mass extinctions never took place during periods where the earth temp increased as much as 22 C.

    Dominant species ALWAYS cause extinctions of other species.

    That's called nature.
     
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  20. EarthSky

    EarthSky Well-Known Member

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    So you are advocating for some kind of population control and regulation? I am taking your post at face value here - excuse me if you were just being sarcastic.
     
  21. SiNNiK

    SiNNiK Well-Known Member

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    The solutions that has been offered by your side has always involved American Dollars. If you have indeed come up with a new solution, then I would love to hear it.
     
  22. vman12

    vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Which, of course, is the reason they're flooding the 1st world with the 3rd.
     
  23. Collateral Damage

    Collateral Damage Well-Known Member

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    You gave yourself away there. Your statement makes it clear that it IS about money.
     
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  24. EarthSky

    EarthSky Well-Known Member

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    Was there a civilization of 7 B people and counting around that arose and was dependent on a 5,000 year period of relative climate stability after the last ice age the last time CO2 was that high?

    If dominant species always cause extinction then do you not think as the dominant species we should not try to save the ecosystem we are dependent on or just nihilism all the way to the end?
     
  25. SiNNiK

    SiNNiK Well-Known Member

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    Evidence?
     
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