ABC News Primetime does special on mass extinction - consensus of biologists is that a new mass extinction has begun

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The show is called Brave New World and argues that because of deforestation and other environmental situations a new mass extinction has begun. On the bright side, they seem to think that humans are "pretty good weeds", meaning that we cover the planet and would be hard to eradicate.

The show is still on in the EST zone so it may be rebroadcast on the West Coast. There will probably be a transcript available soon.

Wonder if the professors have been reading up on Infomagic...

-- a (a@a.a), August 26, 1999

Answers

a: It won't be long now until the pollyannas go the way of the dodoes.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), August 26, 1999.

This has absolutely nothing to do with Y2K, which is the subject of this discussion board. Why are you taking up our space with it?

-- cody (cody@y2ksurvive.com), August 26, 1999.

I disagree Cody. Let me fill in a's logic if I may.

There is a fairly recent theory making the rounds about how the dinosaurs and other species have died out over the millennia. Instead of focusing on meteors and global warming or ice age catastrophes, it puts the blame on disease. Whenever land bridges and other new means for migration have occured between continents, the find a correlation with large quantities of extinctions.

The animals moving from one continent to another would bring diseases with them to other animals who had little or not resistance to them like the Europeans did to the Native Americans (and vice versa--literally--with syphillis).

The biggest problem with potable water shortages is disease. If we go Infomagic, more people will die from disease than hunger or thirst.

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), August 26, 1999.


uh, sorry Cody...didn't mean to disturb you with a mass extinction... :)

-- a (a@a.a), August 26, 1999.

Cody, if you read everything here, you'll eventually figure out that -everything- is related to y2k, in one way or another. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. As in inter-connection. No matter how weird or how remote, it's still a tiny part of the puzzle.

That's what this forum is. Unravelling the puzzle that is y2k.

-- Chris (%$^&^@pond.com), August 26, 1999.



oh and just who's "our space" is it?

-- Chris (%$^&^@pond.com), August 26, 1999.

Lighten up, Cody. This is somewhat of a polymath forum, as I see it. As Chris notes, everything is relevant. (Well, maybe not rap music -- but that's just my own take -- born 40 years too soon.)

After a while here you'll learn to welcome any post that observes the rules of syntax without insulting anyone, and is even minimally interesting to boot.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), August 27, 1999.


a,

more like infomagic was reading the scientists, or at least listening to those looking out their windows. Here on the left coast we're losing our pines to an undefeatable fungus, the eucalyptus to insects, and tanoaks to who-knows-what. Move on to the weeds that inherit genetic components from altered crop species, and you're due for a few sleepless nights at the least.

-- flora (***@__._), August 27, 1999.


Haven't seen one of these ABC News things in awhile -- are they all written at the third-grade level? The musical interludes between the dumbed down science gave me a chance to check out other channels....

Next week, they are covering SETI. Can't wait to hear the music for that one.

-- You Know... (notme@nothere.com), August 27, 1999.


actually this recent "extinction" interest on the part of many media organizations is strange. i have seen THREE (yes, 3) shows on comets, asteroids, death of civilization, etc this week. so are they trying to tell us something? or why is it that it is perfectly acceptable for them to create some sensation over the Nov 9 event versus Y2K?

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), August 27, 1999.


Did they mention the reforestation of the Northeast U.S. As Bill McKibben has reported, right under everyone's noses the previously clear cut NE has been re-greened: all those old Mass, VT and NH farms are now lovely green hardwood forests. Miami Beach? Different story.

-- Spidey (in@jam.commie), August 27, 1999.

I beg to differ Tom, rap music is certainly relevant. It is a gang/tribal revolutionary form of songs against the system. It joins and prepares the youth who will inherit the earth after Y2K. It also gives you an idea of what life will be like ;-)

-- Chris (%$^&^@pond.com), August 27, 1999.

Nothere,

Actually, that's quite an old theory. It's just enjoying a mini-revival, because we're all concerned more about disease, these days, than we are about nuclear winter. That's the down side of the popular science press. Magazines like Omni, Natural Science and of course Popular Science, are no more immune to sensationalizing the news, than is any other news source. It's called Cap-i-tal-ism - the theory that you advance by doing the best job of selling your wares.

That doesn't mean that the disease theory of extinction is wrong, but it does explain why you are suddenly hearing about it again.

-- Bokonon (bok0non@my-Deja.com), August 27, 1999.


Chris,

Man, if Rap music is the only surviving musical form, after next year, then I shall give away all my stores, go break into It's@comings's or A's house, and hope they make it a clean shot(G).Born 40 years too late, myself, so I can only take Rap, in small doses...

a,

Speaking of "A", have you ever considered a name change? I think I've flamed you a couple of times, because of name confusion. Ooops, sorry.

Just a thought.

-- Bokonon (bok0non@my-Deja.com), August 27, 1999.


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