Half of wildlife gone in 40 years

[rainforests1]

Earth has lost half of its wildlife in the past 40 years, says WWF | Environment | The Guardian
Humanity should be proud.

 

[Second Summer]

Yes, I read this yesterday. That is really depressing.

I was going to say we need more nature reserves, but perhaps it would be better if we turned it around and said everything by default is a nature reserve except such and such areas that are human reserves.

 

[shyvas]

I saw this on Sky news last night and it's not surprising and very sad.

 

[rainforests1]

I can't say I'm too surprised but it does sound worse than anything else I've read before.

 

[prioritarian]

The report says populations of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish have declined by an average of 52%.
Populations of freshwater species have suffered an even worse fall of 76%.
​

BBC News - World wildlife populations halved in 40 years - report

If this is even somewhat true the numbers of unnecessary deaths are truly staggering. And these are the very worst kind of deaths.

The ongoing environmental holocaust is why I believe a 1st-world lifestyle (e.g. driving, living in a large home, and spending significant amounts of money on frivolous consumer goods) is ethically indefensible -- non-vegan.

 

[Joe]

And yet, I seem to have seen a number of stories about how the deer population is burgeoning in North America.

 

[Clueless Git]

And yet, I seem to have seen a number of stories about how the deer population is burgeoning in North America.

The fly population in my kitchen seems to be burgeoning too, Joe.

The actual problem here being the loss of entire species not the sizes of the populations of the species that remain.

 

[ledboots]

And yet, I seem to have seen a number of stories about how the deer population is burgeoning in North America.

Because we killed the predators, like wolves.

 

[Joe]

The actual problem here being the loss of entire species not the sizes of the populations of the species that remain.

OK, but my point was more that the media seems to be diverting attention from the more general problem by featuring stories about things like the proliferation of deer.

 

[Second Summer]

The actual problem here being the loss of entire species not the sizes of the populations of the species that remain.

I think the problem is both species going extinct and other species having their populations decimated. One of the bigger underlying problems is the loss of habitats due to reckless, unprincipled and criminal politicians, their cosy relationship with big business, and ultimately, the selfish, uneducated and blissfully ignorant electorate.

 

[Clueless Git]

OK, but my point was more that the media seems to be diverting attention from the more general problem by featuring stories about things like the proliferation of deer.

See your point there now, Joe.

I can't remember which topic it was in but I did see that clip were the leading environmentalists were asked the #1 causes of global warming.

Yes, it does seem that denial/distraction can't be ruled out.

 

[Joe]

Speaking of deer, a doe and a fawn crossed my path as I was driving home from an event at about dusk. I had to brake like a motherf#@ker twice to avoid hitting them. Clearly, there is too much wildlife running about.

 

[rainforests1]

Galapagos Island Giant Tortoise Population Rebounds
One animal that's doing well.