Posted on 05/21/2005 5:12:53 AM PDT by Libloather
Unprecedented effort needed to save world's biodiversity: study
Sat May 21, 2:59 AM ET
MONTREAL (AFP) - An unprecedented effort is required between now and 2010 to stop further deterioration of the planet's fragile biodiversity, according to a UN report that compiled the work of 1,300 researchers.
In fact, 2010 may be too late, say the authors of the report, pleading with governments, NGOs, international organizations and companies to immediately put in place longterm conservation plans.
According to the report published this week in Montreal, "The world in 2100 could have substantial remaining biodiversity or it could be relatively homogenized and contain low levels of diversity."
"Changes in biodiversity due to human activities were more rapid in the past 50 years than at any time in human history," the report stated.
Dubbed the Second Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report, it is part of a massive study launched by the United Nations in 2001 meant to fill in scientific gaps to better measure ongoing environmental changes and understand their global impact.
Thirty-five percent of mangroves -- tropical shrubs that grow on muddy sea shores -- have disappeared in the past two decades, and 20 percent of coral reefs have been destroyed, while 25 percent of conifers and 35 percent of amphibians are in danger of extinction, say scientists.
These tragic circumstances are due to the over-exploitation of natural resources, as well as growing demand for oil and natural gas that pollute the atmosphere, putting increasing pressure on ecosystems and biodiversity.
Proposed solutions aim to link economic development and the protection of biodiversity.
"I think this report is saying we can have a balance, but we need to reduce some of the influence, we need to also move away from just pure conservation, the 'dont touch' kind of policy and a little bit more sharing," economist and co-author of the report Anantha Kumar Duraiappah told AFP.
Making a link between the economy and the protection of biodiversity is even more important in developing countries because they tend to rely mostly on the exploitation of natural resources to sustain their fragile economies.
Poor communities, particularly those in rural areas of developing countries are more dependent on biodiversity. They rely more on ecosystems and so are most vulnerable to their degradation, according to the report.
"If you tell developing countries 'sorry but you have to conserve your ecosystem therefore you should not grow economically.' So they keep their ecosystem and they all starve," Duraiappah said.
In addition to more conventional solutions like creating or expanding protected natural areas, the report recommends the elimination of agricultural subsidies estimated at 350 billion dollars annually for countries that are members of the international Organization for Ecomonic Co-operation and Development.
"A significant proportion of this total involved production subsidies that lead to overproduction, and reduce the profitability of agriculture in developing countries," the report stated.
Wouldn't the planet be much better off if all leftists just stop using oil and natural gas that pollute the atmosphere?
Okay, time to yank the plug on these idiots. Tell the fat lady to clear her throat....
This planet would be much better off if the leftist would just find another one to inhabit.
Coooool. I'm going to send off for every credit card offer I receive, which are a three a day, and live the life of a king for the next 5 years.
There's a lot of "biodiversity" which we'd be better off without: ticks, chiggers, mosquitos, biting flies, poisonous snakes... You'd only have to eliminate three or four species of sharks and there'd never be another shark attack on a human and you'd have 297 species left for the idiots to study.
Whenever we run into a moron who buys into this pablum, we always insist we will follow their lead if they would only kill themselves first to save the planet.
Biodiversity? Who coined that one?
2010 too late? Are we going to be down to one kind of tree, one kind of flower, one kind of duck real soon?
Is the sky falling?
Translated: Give us more money.
In other news, GLOBAL COOLING WILL KILL US ALL! Repent!
Yes!! We're Doomed!!! We're all DOOMED!!!!
Many 11 years ago my youngest daughter came home from school in tears because the teacher told her that in ten(10) years there would be no trees left on the planet. Since then I've taken it as a personal mission to deprogram them and correct their teachers. It's amazing how little some of them know about the topics they are paid to teach.
Here’s a reminder that the reason that some bureaucrats, judges and politicians are attacking private property can be found in the United Nation’s 1,142 page Global Biodiversity Assessment (GBA), the nature worshipping bible of the socialists who have infiltrated various government levels.
In this “bible” one will find that the US Constitution stands in the way of perfecting “One World Government.” (pg. 1036-1037)
The GBA tells us that the high standard of living in developed nations harms the environment and biodioversity. The true believers suggest that the human population needs to be cut back by 67% by reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Doing so will reduce food supplies, causing starvation, and make people more susceptible to mosquito borne illnesses like malaria.
The GBA is based on the United Nation’s Agenda 21.
The chief architect of Agenda 21, Gro Harlem Brundtland, has publicly and proudly acknowledged that Agenda 21 is the International Socialist Party’s (ISP) agenda for the 21st century. The ISP is where communists, fascists and socialists breed and try to infect democratic hosts.
The US Senate rejected the GBA, known as the Biodiversity Treaty, in 1994.
In 1997 the President’s Council on Sustainable Development ordered the federal bureaucracy to implement the GBA regardless of the Senate’s rejection and without permission of the congress or the American people.
So if you’re curious why so much socialist and Marxist garbage is spreading over United States, the answers are in the GBA and Agenda 21. This is where the assorted state and federal Marxists find justification to commit crimes and violence against property owners peacebly going about their business.
IF they're so concerned about global warming they should stop blowing hot air.
UN translation: We need US taxpayer cash. Our Oil for Food scam tanked.
thought you would be interested in this..... looks like someone's getting annoyed that Agenda 21 isn't moving along faster.
Report: Antarctic Ice Sheet Thickening
Fri May 20, 8:25 PM ET
TUCSON, Ariz. - Part of the Antarctic ice sheet is getting thicker, slightly slowing rising ocean levels, according to a new report co-authored by a University of Arizona graduate student.
In the past 10 years, the warmer temperatures over the eastern part of the Antarctic ice sheet have allowed that air to gather more moisture. Snow has been falling and causing part of the ice sheet to thicken — slowing the rise of the sea level by a tiny amount.
"The interior of the east Antarctic ice sheet is the only large terrestrial ice body that is likely gaining mass rather than losing it," said Curt Davis, an engineering professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, who co-authored the report.
"This study suggests that the interior areas of ice sheets also can play an important role. In particular, the east Antarctic ice sheet is the largest in the world and contains enough mass to change sea level by more than 50 meters."
Fifty meters is about 165 feet, more than enough to drown the world's islands and coasts, many of which are just a few meters above the current sea level.
The researchers used satellite images and elevation changes they saw in cored ice samples. They said their work pertains only to the interior, eastern part of the Antarctic ice sheet. Other parts of the sheet may be contributing to rises in sea level, not mitigating them.
UA graduate student Markus Frey said that with results that only document what's happened in the past 10 years, it's impossible to tell whether the trends will continue, and whether they've been caused by natural climate variation or human-caused global warming.
The rise in sea level that would accompany melting of the polar ice sheets is widely regarded as one of the most serious potential consequences of global warming.
During the past century, warmer temperatures have caused melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets and mountain glaciers, which has translated into a rise in the oceans. The trend is expected to continue. The effects have the potential to impact coastal communities all over the globe.
"At first it will affect islands in the Southern Pacific and coastal areas," Frey said. "It also means the frequency of floods will increase. The Netherlands, Florida, places below sea level can get flooded more often. Storm tides would reach farther inland. It depends where you are. It's already happening."
It is never good when the left say anything about "diversity".
What I love about the loony left is they have no solutions to any problems. Making America financially subsidize Chinese and Russian polluters is not what I call a solution.
Here's a solution. Build nuclear power plants with the same design throughout America. Export the coal. Let China pollute itself to death. I could care less.
Work? of 1300 researchers. It was made up by 1300 socialist of the Useless Nations.
Preeecisely.
I, too, have, for some years, encouraged envirowackoes to live by their principles and rid the earth of one more polluter by sacrificing their lives for the sake of the environment. Their absence would certainly clean up my environment.
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