Trump to visit Saudi Arabia in mid-May: Report    Worshippers in Makkah and Madinah perform Eid Al-Fitr prayer    Saudi authorities shut down food factories and branches over suspected poisoning cases    Saudi Arabia welcomes formation of new Syrian government, expresses hope for stronger ties    Saudi Transport Authority says passengers can ride for free if taxi meters are off    Ministry of Education forms 425 community partnerships with SR653 million impact    Defense, interior, and national guard ministers extend Eid greetings, praise efforts of military and security personnel    Syria forms new government with 22 ministers including one woman President Sharaa vows reform and transparency    Israeli army fires warning shots at UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon    Denmark rebukes US Vice President Vance over Greenland remarks    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Makkah and Madinah mobile data usage exceeds global average during Ramadan: CST    Elon Musk's xAI acquires X in all-stock deal    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Saudi Arabia hold Japan to goalless draw in Saitama to stay in World Cup hunt    NewJeans announces hiatus after setback in court battle    George Foreman, heavyweight champion and cultural icon, dies at 76    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Extinctions likely faster now than with dinosaurs
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 30 - 05 - 2010

A rising human population is probably pushing plants and animals into extinction faster than at any point in the world's history, said veteran British broadcaster and conservationist David Attenborough.
“The problem about these changes is that they are happening at an extremely fast rate, and probably much faster than at any other time,” he told Reuters, referring to species destruction. Earlier this month, the United Nations said that governments had failed to meet a 2010 target to halt a slide in the numbers of wildlife species, or biodiversity.
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) conservation group says extinctions have accelerated in the past 50 years, and are happening 1,000 times faster than without the impact of human activities.
Attenborough reckoned that the only “competitor” for the rate of destruction now was the extinction of the dinosaurs.”
If it is true that the end of the dinosaurs was due to a small asteroid banging into the planet, presumably that might have had very, very swift consequences,” he said.
“That has by no means been proved. A lot of the things that disappeared at the end of the cretaceous (period) 65 million years ago did so over a period of millions of years,” he said before giving a lecture late on Wednesday at the London Wetland Center, a wildlife preserve.
The 84-year old naturalist laid the blame on a rising world population, projected to reach 9 billion by 2050 from 6.8 billion now.
“I am quite certain that things will not be as good in 50 years time as they are now,” he said.But he cautioned against getting too gloomy after a 50-year broadcasting career spent celebrating life on Earth.
“I'm quite sure that people won't care about biodiversity, the variety of wildlife, unless they know something about it.
You don't have to say everything has to be about doom and gloom, or everything has to be about mindless wonder. There's plenty of room for both and television does both.”


Clic here to read the story from its source.