Recent research on biodiversity loss reveals that climate change is a ‘wild card’ a new challenge to Earth’s eco-systems according to the journal Science.
Global mapping reveals ‘unsafe levels’ of biodiversity across 58 per cent of Earth’s surface. Biodiversity loss is substantial enough to question the ability of many eco-systems to support human societies.
Key points addressed note that ‘safe limits are exceeded if less than 90 per cent abundance of original species or 80 per cent of those species is retained. The analysis found average local abundance of species across the world was 84.6 per cent.
In all, experts say the study is a warning. As such this information is vital to all communities dealing with the threat of government policies dictating the felling of biodiversity. The health of all living organisms on Earth requires balanced biodiversity that are supportive of Earth’s eco-systems.
Habitat destruction has reduced the variety of plants and animals to the point that ecological systems could become unable to function properly with risks for agriculture and human health.
The unchecked loss of biodiversity is akin to playing ‘ecological roulette’ and will set back efforts to bring people out of poverty, scientists have warned.
Analysing 1.8 million records from 39.125 sites across earth, the international study found that a measure of the intactness of biodiversity sites had fallen below a safety limit across 58.1 per cent of the world’s land.
A site losing more than 10 per cent of its biodiversity is considered to have passed a precautionary threshold, beyond which the ecosystems ability to function could be compromised.
‘Until and unless we can bring biodiversity back up we are playing ‘cological roulette.’ (Prof. Andy Purvis, National History Museum and author.)
‘We are entering a zone of uncertainty’, Dr Tim Newbold, University College of London.
As we have noted the Turnball government has shamefully slashed CSIRO funding directly attacking the Australian scientific community.
Indeed, he has installed ‘Mr Coal – Josh Frydenberg as Environment Minister and Mat Canavan (‘science on climate change is less certain’ Minister for Resources.
Their conservative cousin, NSW premier Mike Baird, has attacked and weakened environmentally protective laws, thus aiding development and agribusiness and, of course into the mix in the north coast, we will read the world view of the aged future eater and media tycoon, a guy named Rupert Murdoch, who drip feeds South Australian peoples with a very mind-numbing journal, The Advertiser.
Is it any wonder that social movements will continue to grow and rise up against climate deniers, mind numbing media tycoons and those creatures driven only by the profit motive?
Have hope always.
Jo Faith, Newtown
Aware people see Climate Change. We have an unaware planet of people who don’t see the changes that are happening all around us. Coast beaches are eroding, unusual warm winters appearing, and even warmer summers with shifting rain patterns. Human life is getting stronger and more numerous and animal and bird life weaker and less numerous. Tree numbers are dwindling and therefore less oxygen is in the air as they give off oxygen and store carbon dioxide as wood fibre.
And we do nothing but cut down trees.
There are more trees in Australia than when Cook arrived. Different trees certainly but more none the less. The entire world is greening (God help us, oh different greens, sorry), crop production is up thanks to Co2 levels which is now at 400 ppm , way short of the danger level at 5000 ppm. Look at your own Hinterland. The Tweed was largely weed free when Farming was the main occupation but now the area is overun over by millions of Camphor Laurels. No Len, Trees are not declining, the O2 levels are the same and Co2 wobbles as it has always done for the same reasons. Certainly Human numbers need cutting back. Maybe a “Soylent Green” solution. The Bird life getting fewer is certainly true. The Ivanpah Solar Energy Plant in the USA fries midflight 28,000 birds per year. Look in the sky, what is it, a bird, a plane. Nah, just another “streamer” as they call it.