Global Extinction Crisis & Biodiversity
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-10-28/global-extinction-crisis-biodiversity
Kihansi Spray Toad
Timothy Herman for the for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
New research documents the long term decline of the earth’s biodiversity: What species are most at risk and some conservation efforts that are making a difference.
Guests
Bruce Stein
Associate Director of Wildlife Conservation & Global Warming at the National Wildlife Federation, co-author of study "The Impact of Conservation on the Status of the World’s Vertebrates"
Stuart Pimm
Doris Duke Chair of Conservation Ecology at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.
Bruce Beehler
ornithologist and senior director for biodiversity assessment at Conservation International.
Craig Hilton-Taylor
manager of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List Unit and a lead author of "The Impact of Conservation on the Status of the World’s Vertebrates"
Comments
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I have heard that there is concern about but do not know if any study has been done regarding the effects of 'the Wall' stretching along the Mexican-American border on the ability of our wild animals to have the kind of area needed to roam, to reproduce in a way that balances nature. Thank you.
So what about plants? Anything to be said in their favor? Loss of biodiversity in vegetation will have a terrible effect on all cute, fuzzy wildlife and on human ecosystems as well. Plants ARE life!
Of course, we should conserve and reduce pollution, but we must consider the unintended consequences of narrowly considered human policy. Such as:
1. The billion children that have died of malaria because cheap DDT was not allowed in their country.
2. Scientist calculate that in the upper ninety percent of species that have ever existed have gone extinct. So, extinction is a natural result of modifications (random or environmental) by the evolutionary process. So, we must not adopt a "new DDT" solution.
I take issue with the so-called success of turtle excluder devices to protect turtles. The enforcement of this requirement in the US is woefully inadequate.
During the Deepwater Horizon Spill response, we found hundreds of dead turtles which were drowned in shimp trawl nets; as many turtles as were killed by oiling. We learned this because we put the unprecedented effort into the spill response. Feds and States simply don't enforce this requirement.
Without real enforcement (or acceptance by the regulated industry), regulations to require TEDs or regulations to slow large ships in coastal waters to prevent collision with endangered right whales aren't worth anything.
Given the overwhelming scientific evidence for these types of ecological problems, I wonder about the nearly automatic inclusion of deniers (often motivated by pro-business policies) on panel discussions regarding policy; this show is no exception. (Club for Growth, anyone?) Yes, in the short run, it provides what has come to seem like "balance" in the media, but this sense of balance is, ultimately, (a) not justified by science and (b) damaging the planet.