Stanford researcher declares that the sixth mass extinction is here

[Kablooie]

There is no longer any doubt: We are entering a mass extinction that threatens humanity's existence.

That is the bad news at the center of a new study by a group of scientists including Paul Ehrlich, the Bing Professor of Population Studies in biology and a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Ehrlich and his co-authors call for fast action to conserve threatened species, populations and habitat, but warn that the window of opportunity is rapidly closing.

"[The study] shows without any significant doubt that we are now entering the sixth great mass extinction event," Ehrlich said.

The new study, published in the journal Science Advances, shows that even with extremely conservative estimates, species are disappearing up to about 100 times faster than the normal rate between mass extinctions, known as the background rate.

"If it is allowed to continue, life would take many millions of years to recover, and our species itself would likely disappear early on," said lead author Gerardo Ceballos of the Universidad Autónoma de México.

Now, the specter of extinction hangs over about 41 percent of all amphibian species and 26 percent of all mammals, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which maintains an authoritative list of threatened and extinct species.

"There are examples of species all over the world that are essentially the walking dead," Ehrlich said.

Despite the gloomy outlook, there is a meaningful way forward, according to Ehrlich and his colleagues. "Avoiding a true sixth mass extinction will require rapid, greatly intensified efforts to conserve already threatened species, and to alleviate pressures on their populations – notably habitat loss, over-exploitation for economic gain and climate change," the study's authors write.

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/june/mass-extinction-ehrlich-061915.html

[former9thward]

1. Every prediction that Paul Ehrlich made has been proven wrong.

He said there would be massive starvation in the 70s.

[Kablooie]

2. Well, that's good to hear.

[still_one]

4. Whew! That was close.

[thecrow]

3. Isn't a kangaroo a mammal?

Why are the vertebrates, then, represented by a pic of a kangaroo?
Just asking....

[Spider Jerusalem]

5. I'd guess that's a mistake?

It should probably be "invertebrates" (since mammals, fish, birds and reptiles pretty well covers the vertebrates).

[Duppers]

6. Yep. My thought too. Nt.