Many of Earth's "vital signs" in bad shape: report - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Many of Earth's "vital signs" in bad shape: report
Thu Sep 13, 2007 1:04PM EDT

By Ed Stoddard

DALLAS (Reuters) - More wood was removed from forests in
2005 than ever before, one of many troubling environmental
signs highlighted on Thursday in the Worldwatch Institute's
annual check of the planet's health.

The Washington-based think tank's "Vital Signs 2007-2008"
report points to global patterns ranging from rising meat
consumption to Asian economic growth it says are linked to
the broader problem of climate change.

-snip-

Assadourian said the key message of the report was that
unsustainable consumption patterns were responsible for
climate change linked to carbon emissions and other
ecological woes.

He said of the 44 trends tracked by the report, 28 were
"pronouncedly bad" and only six were positive.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1230340520070913

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Related: Vital Signs 2007 - 2008 - Worldwatch Institute

[ladjf]

1. The human race should be re-classified as

"homo sapient extermintatus"

We are the most destructive life form ever to have existed on Earth. And we have also successfully exterminated ourselves, we will have remained on Earth for the shortest time span of any species.

That's a tragic commentary to make about such a talented life form.

Our exceptional abilities to think abstractly have falsely led us to believe that we were something far more than we really were. That appears to be the origin of our downfall.

Nature does not reward life that bases it's actions upon fabricated conclusions.

[XemaSab]

2. We're not the most destructive by far

That honor goes to the first green plants. :P

[ladjf]

3. Why would you say that? The first green plants "invented"

photosynthesis, the most important process in the history of life on the planet.

Thanks to the innovation, the planet is now abundant in all sorts of life that depends on the sun for energy.

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Yeah, but they completely destroyed what was here before

And nearly wiped out all extant life in the process...

(you need a weird sense of humour in E/E) :hi:

[hatrack]

5. So, no tears for all that hard-working blue-green algae?

:evilgrin: