Earth lost 50% of its wildlife in the past 40 years, says WWF

[pjclarke]

Human population growth which is at the heart of why the Earth has lost this amount of wildlife is nothing to do with evolution. Evolution is an exceptionally slow natural process that works in direct consequence and in balance with the surrounding environmental factors. To sustain the ever increasing human population we have destructively manipulated the natural resources of the world. That ain't evolution.

To some extent. Its not just people numbers - its also rampant economic growth & consumerism; all the while treating the environment as an 'externality' that goes with it. According to the UN, population is set to stabilise at around 10m around 2200, slowing rapidly at the end of this century. Whereas a 3% growth in GDP annually leads to an increase of around 1600% over the next century, and as people become richer they consume more meat, more resources, more energy.

[original PM]

so WWF have records going back for the last 4.5 billion years then?

No oh then this will be the usual scoremongering bull$h!t spouted to fill the headlines on a tuesday.

[pjclarke]

so WWF have records going back for the last 4.5 billion years then?

No oh then this will be the usual scoremongering bull$h!t spouted to fill the headlines on a tuesday.

?? Which part of 'the last forty years' is giving you the problem?

[original PM]

?? Which part of 'the last forty years' is giving you the problem?

The fact they are using the term 'last forty years' to imply that prior to that no species ever disapeared.

[pjclarke]

It was actual numbers of individual animals, specifically vertebrates, not species, that the index measures, though extinction rates are also up. Freshwater species are hardest hit, and Latin America the worst place geographically.

It seems a little unlikely that vertebrate populations have been declining at 50% every forty years for the lifetime of the planet.....

Primary source is here:- WWF - Living Planet Report

[BrilloPad]

Most of the animals that have gone were cows. If only we could stop MF eating burgers.

[alluvial]

so WWF have records going back for the last 4.5 billion years then?

No oh then this will be the usual scoremongering bull$h!t spouted to fill the headlines on a tuesday.

Well yes, there is a record that goes back a few billion years, it's called the Fossil Record.

There are events recorded in the record where large percentages of the life living at the time were decimated, probably by even bigger values than 50%. But what is unprecedented here is that a single species is flourishing to such an extent that it impacts all the other species on the planet. Generally, if a species gets so successful that it it impacts other species, then this has a reverse impact on it so that numbers remain in balance. What we have now is out of balance and if something doesn't come along to redress the balance, then the Human Race will be living in a very boring, sterile place.

[stek]

What do a bunch of American Wrestlers know anyway?

[Mug27]

What we have now is out of balance and if something doesn't come along to redress the balance, then the Human Race will be living in a very boring, sterile place.[/QUOTE]

Canary Wharf then...

[BlasterBates]

Disagree completely with all these doom laden predictions.

Just go back to the 70's or even further and look what the scientists were predicting. Most of it is "attention seeking bollox". A new religion.

Plenty of animals running around the cities. Still if it makes people happy to be depressed, so be it.