SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A Health Check-up for Our Environment--Ignored at Our Own Risk
In the 1950s, thousands of Baiji river dolphins plied the waters of the Yangtze, Asia's mightiest river. The Chinese river dolphin had evolved over 20 millions of years, and was revered as the goddess of the Yangtze. By 1994, fewer than 100 individuals remained, and by 2006, the dolphin had become extinct. A proud branch on the tree of life had been destroyed in the blink of an eye by pollution, dam building, and reckless navigation.
Nov 11, 2014
In the 1950s, thousands of Baiji river dolphins plied the waters of the Yangtze, Asia's mightiest river. The Chinese river dolphin had evolved over 20 millions of years, and was revered as the goddess of the Yangtze. By 1994, fewer than 100 individuals remained, and by 2006, the dolphin had become extinct. A proud branch on the tree of life had been destroyed in the blink of an eye by pollution, dam building, and reckless navigation.
Sadly, the goddess of the Yangtze is not alone in her fate. The last Chinese paddlefish was sighted in 2003. The majestic Chinese sturgeon is considered to be critically endangered as well. Of the 143 fish species which were historically recorded in the Yangtze River, only 17 were left in 2013.
As many as 30 million animal, plant and fungi species populate Planet Earth. About 1.7 million of them have been identified and described. What is the health of these plant and animal kingdoms? Which species groups are at particular risk? Are the extinct Chinese river dolphin and paddlefish only the tip of an iceberg?
The most comprehensive scientific source of information on the conservation status of the world's biodiversity is the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Prepared by experts groups of the IUCN, the Red List has rigorously documented the status and the threats to animal, plant and fungi species for 50 years. The assessment serves as a critical source of information for International Rivers' interactive database, The State of the World's Rivers, and many other surveys and reports.
According to the 2014 Red List, 22,176 of the 74,108 species that have been evaluated are threatened by extinction. Of the 11,323 evaluated fish species, 2,172 are considered under threat. These figures are not necessarily representative in that assessment efforts focus on species more likely to be threatened. On the other hand, countless species have likely been extinct before they were ever identified or assessed.
Will we change course before other branches on the tree of life die off?Even with the limited information available, we know that freshwater ecosystems are extremely rich in biodiversity, and more threatened by species extinction than any other major ecosystem. The Red List considers 41% of all amphibians and 31% of all freshwater crabs threatened, and in 2009 classified 37% of the evaluated freshwater fishes as threatened. For example, no less than 24 of the planet's 26 sturgeon species are threatened or near-threatened. As the Global Biodiversity Outlook found in 2010, rivers, lakes and other wetlands "have undergone more dramatic changes than any other type of ecosystem" due to dam construction, drainage, water diversion and pollution.
The IUCN Red List offers a much-needed annual check-up on the ecological health of our planet. It provides important guidance on how we can protect the building blocks of life on Earth, in ways that are often less costly than the long-term impacts of biodiversity loss. We celebrate the 50th anniversary of this invaluable tool, and salute Synchronicity Earth and the other funders who are making this service possible.
We are well-advised to listen to our doctors. Shouldn't we pay more attention to our planet's ecological health check-ups as well? Dr. Richard Sneider, Global Chair of the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, warns: "Most heart attacks are the result of a blockage of arteries. Blocking or disrupting river flows have the same effect on the planet as they do in the human body. Unless we are becoming much more proactive in addressing the alarming incremental pace of river flow disruption, we are likely to give the planet a heart attack with seriously crippling and devastating consequences to all life on earth!"
The Chinese river dolphin has disappeared before our eyes within only two generations. Will we change course before other branches on the tree of life die off? It would be foolish to assume that we can somehow maintain our prosperity and our very future without the rich biodiversity on Planet Earth.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Peter Bosshard
Peter Bosshard is Finance Program Director at the Sunrise Project. He formerly was the Interim Executive Director of International Rivers.
In the 1950s, thousands of Baiji river dolphins plied the waters of the Yangtze, Asia's mightiest river. The Chinese river dolphin had evolved over 20 millions of years, and was revered as the goddess of the Yangtze. By 1994, fewer than 100 individuals remained, and by 2006, the dolphin had become extinct. A proud branch on the tree of life had been destroyed in the blink of an eye by pollution, dam building, and reckless navigation.
Sadly, the goddess of the Yangtze is not alone in her fate. The last Chinese paddlefish was sighted in 2003. The majestic Chinese sturgeon is considered to be critically endangered as well. Of the 143 fish species which were historically recorded in the Yangtze River, only 17 were left in 2013.
As many as 30 million animal, plant and fungi species populate Planet Earth. About 1.7 million of them have been identified and described. What is the health of these plant and animal kingdoms? Which species groups are at particular risk? Are the extinct Chinese river dolphin and paddlefish only the tip of an iceberg?
The most comprehensive scientific source of information on the conservation status of the world's biodiversity is the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Prepared by experts groups of the IUCN, the Red List has rigorously documented the status and the threats to animal, plant and fungi species for 50 years. The assessment serves as a critical source of information for International Rivers' interactive database, The State of the World's Rivers, and many other surveys and reports.
According to the 2014 Red List, 22,176 of the 74,108 species that have been evaluated are threatened by extinction. Of the 11,323 evaluated fish species, 2,172 are considered under threat. These figures are not necessarily representative in that assessment efforts focus on species more likely to be threatened. On the other hand, countless species have likely been extinct before they were ever identified or assessed.
Will we change course before other branches on the tree of life die off?Even with the limited information available, we know that freshwater ecosystems are extremely rich in biodiversity, and more threatened by species extinction than any other major ecosystem. The Red List considers 41% of all amphibians and 31% of all freshwater crabs threatened, and in 2009 classified 37% of the evaluated freshwater fishes as threatened. For example, no less than 24 of the planet's 26 sturgeon species are threatened or near-threatened. As the Global Biodiversity Outlook found in 2010, rivers, lakes and other wetlands "have undergone more dramatic changes than any other type of ecosystem" due to dam construction, drainage, water diversion and pollution.
The IUCN Red List offers a much-needed annual check-up on the ecological health of our planet. It provides important guidance on how we can protect the building blocks of life on Earth, in ways that are often less costly than the long-term impacts of biodiversity loss. We celebrate the 50th anniversary of this invaluable tool, and salute Synchronicity Earth and the other funders who are making this service possible.
We are well-advised to listen to our doctors. Shouldn't we pay more attention to our planet's ecological health check-ups as well? Dr. Richard Sneider, Global Chair of the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, warns: "Most heart attacks are the result of a blockage of arteries. Blocking or disrupting river flows have the same effect on the planet as they do in the human body. Unless we are becoming much more proactive in addressing the alarming incremental pace of river flow disruption, we are likely to give the planet a heart attack with seriously crippling and devastating consequences to all life on earth!"
The Chinese river dolphin has disappeared before our eyes within only two generations. Will we change course before other branches on the tree of life die off? It would be foolish to assume that we can somehow maintain our prosperity and our very future without the rich biodiversity on Planet Earth.
Peter Bosshard
Peter Bosshard is Finance Program Director at the Sunrise Project. He formerly was the Interim Executive Director of International Rivers.
In the 1950s, thousands of Baiji river dolphins plied the waters of the Yangtze, Asia's mightiest river. The Chinese river dolphin had evolved over 20 millions of years, and was revered as the goddess of the Yangtze. By 1994, fewer than 100 individuals remained, and by 2006, the dolphin had become extinct. A proud branch on the tree of life had been destroyed in the blink of an eye by pollution, dam building, and reckless navigation.
Sadly, the goddess of the Yangtze is not alone in her fate. The last Chinese paddlefish was sighted in 2003. The majestic Chinese sturgeon is considered to be critically endangered as well. Of the 143 fish species which were historically recorded in the Yangtze River, only 17 were left in 2013.
As many as 30 million animal, plant and fungi species populate Planet Earth. About 1.7 million of them have been identified and described. What is the health of these plant and animal kingdoms? Which species groups are at particular risk? Are the extinct Chinese river dolphin and paddlefish only the tip of an iceberg?
The most comprehensive scientific source of information on the conservation status of the world's biodiversity is the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Prepared by experts groups of the IUCN, the Red List has rigorously documented the status and the threats to animal, plant and fungi species for 50 years. The assessment serves as a critical source of information for International Rivers' interactive database, The State of the World's Rivers, and many other surveys and reports.
According to the 2014 Red List, 22,176 of the 74,108 species that have been evaluated are threatened by extinction. Of the 11,323 evaluated fish species, 2,172 are considered under threat. These figures are not necessarily representative in that assessment efforts focus on species more likely to be threatened. On the other hand, countless species have likely been extinct before they were ever identified or assessed.
Will we change course before other branches on the tree of life die off?Even with the limited information available, we know that freshwater ecosystems are extremely rich in biodiversity, and more threatened by species extinction than any other major ecosystem. The Red List considers 41% of all amphibians and 31% of all freshwater crabs threatened, and in 2009 classified 37% of the evaluated freshwater fishes as threatened. For example, no less than 24 of the planet's 26 sturgeon species are threatened or near-threatened. As the Global Biodiversity Outlook found in 2010, rivers, lakes and other wetlands "have undergone more dramatic changes than any other type of ecosystem" due to dam construction, drainage, water diversion and pollution.
The IUCN Red List offers a much-needed annual check-up on the ecological health of our planet. It provides important guidance on how we can protect the building blocks of life on Earth, in ways that are often less costly than the long-term impacts of biodiversity loss. We celebrate the 50th anniversary of this invaluable tool, and salute Synchronicity Earth and the other funders who are making this service possible.
We are well-advised to listen to our doctors. Shouldn't we pay more attention to our planet's ecological health check-ups as well? Dr. Richard Sneider, Global Chair of the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, warns: "Most heart attacks are the result of a blockage of arteries. Blocking or disrupting river flows have the same effect on the planet as they do in the human body. Unless we are becoming much more proactive in addressing the alarming incremental pace of river flow disruption, we are likely to give the planet a heart attack with seriously crippling and devastating consequences to all life on earth!"
The Chinese river dolphin has disappeared before our eyes within only two generations. Will we change course before other branches on the tree of life die off? It would be foolish to assume that we can somehow maintain our prosperity and our very future without the rich biodiversity on Planet Earth.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.