Scientists Want 225 on Endangered List

AP via Yahoo! News ^ | May 5, 2004 | ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN, Associated Press Writer

[ecurbh]

TUCSON, Ariz. - Scientists, including acclaimed wildlife biologist Jane Goodall, joined environmental groups Tuesday in petitioning the government to add 225 plants and animals to the endangered species list.

The species are not new to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; four-fifths have been on the agency's waiting list for a decade. Some have been waiting since 1975. The average is 17 years.

Goodall, known for her pioneering research on chimpanzees, signed the petitions, joined by other prominent scientists including biologists E.O. Wilson of Harvard University and Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University.

"Wildlife is facing serious threats almost everywhere," Goodall said in a statement. She accused the Bush administration of seeking to undermine the Endangered Species Act.

Robert Hass, former poet laureate of the United States, said it's not too late to save the 225 plants and animals "languishing on the federal candidate list. It's time to open the doors of the ark and let them in."

Eleven individuals and three environmental organizations filed the petitions, said Brian Nowicki, a conservation biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity, which organized the effort.

A spokesman for the Interior Department accused the Tucson-based group of misrepresenting the realities of the endangered species program. Hugh Vickery attributed a decline in listing new species to "a flood of lawsuits" filed by the center and other plaintiffs since 1997.

The 225 species listed in the petitions are from 39 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Mariana and Northern Mariana islands and American Samoa. Nearly half are from Hawaii.

More than 1,200 species have been placed on the endangered list since the Endangered Species Act became law in 1973, Nowicki said. The Bush administration has listed only 31 species as endangered, in contrast to an average of 65 a year by the Clinton administration and 59 a year under the first President Bush (news - web sites).

[prion]

four-fifths have been on the agency's waiting list for a decade. Some have been waiting since 1975. The average is 17 years.

And they haven't gone extinct yet? Sounds to me like they're hanging in there pretty well on their own.

[So Cal Rocket]

226. Unbiased press in the United States.

[So Cal Rocket]

227. Judges who interpret the Constitution by using "the intent of the framers" instead of legislating from the bench.

[HairOfTheDog]

I support wilderness and habitat protection (even with public money) more than some here.... but it never should be to protect a rare species variation that is found only one place and is rare for that reason.

These scientists know and believe in evolution and Darwinism... and yet they for whatever reason think that the moment they start paying attention all species should remain static and the rise and fall of new subspecies should stop.

Branches off family trees die all the time, while others adapt and thrive. We should and will protect species when we can, I think it is intrinsically good to minimize our destruction of wildlife. But we cannot prevent the extinction of species that cannot survive without our artificial protections.

[appeal2]

John F. Kerry's presidential campaign should be placed on the list immediately.

[HairOfTheDog]

ping ping

[B.O. Plenty]

How about adding one more endangered species, and make it 226....the rapidly vanishing Human White Male?

[Right Wing Professor]

I had a look at the Mammal/Bird list. There is exactly one mainland US organism on it; the others are Hawaian, Puerto Rican or American Samoan. The one US listing is a subspecies of ground squirrel. The problem with ground squirrels is nearly every valley in the West has a separate species, all relic populations of a much broader range.

I'm not devaluing the threatened status of island species, but in general the prognosis for species on isolated islands after human contact is not good, and you have to take extraordinary measures to save them. Most Hawaian native species were killed off by the Polynesians; the ones that survived until Captain Cook's arrival have largely been threatened by introdcued species like the mongoose and the mosquito.

In other words, this is the usual eco-sky-is-falling claptrap.

[Mr. Jazzy]

"Goodall, known for her pioneering research on chimpanzees, signed the petitions, joined by other prominent scientists including biologists E.O. Wilson of Harvard University and Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University."

Paul Ehrlich?

Is that dimwit STILL around?

I remember when he spoke to our high school about how "desperately important" it was that we stop polluting the oceans or they would be dead, poisoning the air and that the oil in Alaska wouldn't last to the end of the decade.

The year was ... 1973

[beckett]

E.O. Wilson wants to set aside some huge percentage of the landmass on the entire globe for a nature preserve. I remember seeing the map of his plan some years ago and being flabbergasted at the sweeping and completely unfeasible nature of his proposal.

We must preserve resources and habitat as much as possible, but great difficulties arise in deciding what measures are truly called for because the very people who are supposed to give "expert" opinion on these matters cannot be trusted to objectively assess the data. Hidden agendas abound.

[ZULU]

I think they should add "Native Born Americans", Conservatives and Republicans to that list.

Maybe also "English speaking Americans".

[ZULU]

"The Bush administration has listed only 31 species as endangered, in contrast to an average of 65 a year by the Clinton administration .."

The Clinton Administration kept adding virgins to the list as his term ran on.

[elfman2]

"I support wilderness and habitat protection (even with public money) more than some here.... but it never should be to protect a rare species variation that is found only one place and is rare for that reason. "

I vaguely remember talk of requiring an economic impact study to be done relating to the results of environmental studies recommendations. Seems like that would solve the imbalance.

[elfman2]

"the ones that survived until Captain Cook's arrival have largely been threatened by introdcued species like the mongoose and the mosquito"

The mosquito is an alien species?

[elfman2]

"the ones that survived until Captain Cook's arrival have largely been threatened by introdcued species like the mongoose and the mosquito"

The mosquito is an alien species?

[uglybiker]

Scientists Want 225 on Endangered List

Yeah. You don't see many of those old Buicks on the road anymore.

[uglybiker]

225 in it's natural habitat.

[Publius6961]

Scientists Want 225 on Endangered List

Scientists Activists Want 225 on Endangered List

There
All fixed.

[Right Wing Professor]

The mosquito is an alien species?

It is to Hawaii. The urban legend goes it was introduced by a vengeful ship-captain who'd been cheated in some Hawaiian port.