[Coral-List] Extinction report

[Douglas Fenner]

The UN and 132 country governments have released a new report on the risk
of extinction, saying that up to a million species are likely at risk of
extinction.  The video in the article below shows scenes of dead coral in
two spots.  One article said that this new report reviewed 15,000
documents, the summary is 40 pages long, and the actual report is 1800
pages long.  That will take more than 5 minutes to read.  This is the
equivalent for extinction of the IPCC reports on climate change, with a
similar structure of the group working on it, composed of representatives
of country governments, all of which had to agree to it.
        This is not just about butterflies and corals.  It's also about
humans causing it, and the prospect that humans will suffer the
consequences.  " In a prepared statement, Robert Watson, a British chemist
who served as the panel’s chairman, said the decline in biodiversity is
eroding “the foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security,
health and quality of life worldwide.” "  This is about us, too.
        This article says "  Coral reefs lost to warming and acidifying
oceans could cause a collapse in commercial and indigenous fisheries,
affecting billions of coastal residents who rely on seafood for protein. "
"  “Once you get to basically 2 degrees Celsius, the models show that only
1 percent can survive,” Watson said. “Let’s be quite candid. We’re not on
the pathway to 2 degrees Celsius. We’re on a pathway to 3, 3 ½ degrees
Celsius. The coral system is truly in trouble.” "

www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/05/06/one-million-species-face-extinction-un-panel-says-humans-will-suffer-result/?utm_term=.c9f2f0c8adef&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

BBC article today:  https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48169783

A BBC popular piece came out yesterday saying this report was to be
released today.  It includes some interesting graphics that include the
fraction of corals at risk.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48104037

What was released today was the 40 page summary.  They are still working on
the full report.

The primary drivers have been habitat destruction, direct exploitation, and
climate change (which is only 3rd).

There are lots of news stories out on this today

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/climate/biodiversity-extinction-united-nations.html



https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/06/world/one-million-species-threatened-extinction-humans-scn-intl/index.html

And many more.

Cheers,  Doug
-- 
Douglas Fenner
Ocean Associates, Inc. Contractor
NOAA Fisheries Service
Pacific Islands Regional Office
Honolulu
and:
Consultant
PO Box 7390
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA

New book "The Uninhabitable Earth"  First sentence: "It is much, much worse
than you think."
Read first (short) chapter open access:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/read-a-chapter-from-the-uninhabitable-earth-a-dire-warning-on-climate-change

Want a Green New Deal?  Here's a better one.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/want-a-green-new-deal-heres-a-better-one/2019/02/24/2d7e491c-36d2-11e9-af5b-b51b7ff322e9_story.html?utm_term=.a3fc8337cbf8

Nations falling short of emissions cuts set by Paris climate pact, analysis
finds
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/nations-falling-short-emissions-cuts-set-paris-climate-pact-analysis-finds?utm_campaign=news_daily_2018-11-28&et_rid=17045989&et_cid=2515903