The superb fairy-wren is likely to be extinct within 30-40 years, researchers from the Australian National University have found.
In a new study published in the journal Nature, the research team said the population at the Australian National Botanic Gardens had been studied more closely than most of other species.
What’s next?
The team said the only way to spare the species from extinction was to stop climate change.
well, that’s then fucked then.
Even in here you get people defending the continued destruction of the biosphere by not stopping burning fossil fuels let alone the complete disregard in the wider world.
"See kids, there used to be these incredibly beautiful creatures that flew around in the sky, unworried, peaceful. all shapes and sizes! they delighted humans with their songs and colorful plumage… "
“What happened to them?”
“Well, a small handful of the wealthiest people on earth decided that maximizing the imaginary numbers on a screen mattered more than all living creatures. So now there are no birds. or amphibians. or coral reefs.”
… <cries>
small handful of the wealthiest people on earth ?
Is this referencing that report that was like, this company produces oil so therefore it’s to blame for all our problems conveniently avoiding the fact that billions of people drive petrol cars?
While a fair criticism at a glance. Those oil companies have done all they could to ensure their own longevity, from suppressing evidence on climate change to lobbying for a car-centric society. You can’t blame emissions solely on the person diving a car, when that decision was in part made for them due to the lack of alternatives to them.
Yes I accepted this 10 years ago when watching who killed the electric car, but people today have more alternatives than ever and had ample opportunities to buy yet
https://www.aaa.asn.au/research-data/electric-vehicle/
and when I see people talking about EV’s today they are STILL asking whether spending the money is worth it and trying to work out payback times vs if they get a petrol car, there’s no consideration for the environment at all
It’s the same reason the electric car never took off to begin with even though we had EV’s alongside the earliest petrol cars.
Petrol was simpler better and cheaper, nothing to do with the environment
Usable electric cars appeared during the 1890s. An electric car held the vehicular land speed record until around 1900. In the early 20th century, the high cost, low top speed, and short range of battery electric vehicles left them unable to compete with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles for consumer use
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_electric_vehicle
While EVs have been a thing for a while, historically emissions would not have been a significant consideration: in most places most electricity would still have originated from fossil sources (including coal!). That has only changed with the recent increase in renewables.
For many people the issue is that they can’t afford an EV. Sadly those ICE cars are still more common (and oftentimes, cheaper…), and hence easier and cheaper to obtain second hand. With current fuel prices EVs would be a no brainer, but if you can’t get or buy one, i.e. due to lack of money, you would be stuck with it.
And maybe: if society punishes those that take action for climate (by making such desirable actions cost money), that may be a problem in itself.
Alternatives to driving (rather than EVs) would be a better solution in any case - pollution by tires is a real thing - but transit access often correlates with higher housing prices, and new housing and public transit developments take a while.
Rather than blaming those that need their car due to society being designed around it, I’d rather blame those that had a hand in designing it this way (and maybe those that choose to drive in a fossil-powered car, despite having money or have exceedingly good access to public transit to where they want to go).
We are so lucky in Australia. I can hear a beautiful warbling right now as I type this. And also the distant “ark-aaaaaa” of a crow.
I hope we can help these little guys make it.
You’re so right. That’s why we have to do all we can to save them. 🦜 🦅 🦉 🐦⬛ 🦆
We have these beautiful little birds where I live. I don’t want to see them gone.
Dang. For some reason I assumed they were doing okay as far as bird species go.
