Penguin declines don’t bode well for the rest of us 8

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1. 

   javaearth Posted 7:13 am
   02 Jul 2008

   which one was the most damaging?Out of all the factors (climate change, ocean pollution, overfishing, tourism, and development), I would be interested in knowing which one is the most damaging?
   The real sad thing is we as humans can stop all of the factors, yet we chose not to!
   
    

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2. 

   caniscandida Posted 8:04 am
   02 Jul 2008

   travelIt is an interesting ethical problem of anthropology and history, that human beings love to travel to far-off places, e.g. Antarctica, and that the freedom to travel is included among the conditions of a "good life," or human flourishing -- on the one hand; but on the other, human traveling has introduced all kinds of ills into the world.
   If environmentalists (for the sake of mitigating global warming) and wildlife conservationists and animal-welfarists (for the sake of the penguins) were to urge everyone to stop traveling to Antarctica, would that not raise a hue-and-cry of reaction, as being a highly inhumane anti-intellectual recommendation?  : (

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3. 

   Tasermons Partner Posted 10:55 am
   02 Jul 2008

   Different strokes for different birds...Out of all the factors (climate change, ocean pollution, overfishing, tourism, and development), I would be interested in knowing which one is the most damaging?
   With at least 17 species of penguins inhabiting nearly every major landmass in the southern hemisphere, I imagine each one is effected in different ways.  In Australia, they deal with development and tourists.  In Galapagos, it's overfishing and pollution.  In Antartica, it's global warming.  In South America, it's pollution and tourism.
   All face threats, but their wide range and unique combination of threats to seperate populations calls for a massive and fine-tuned conseravtion plan.

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4. 

   caniscandida Posted 3:49 pm
   02 Jul 2008

   Galapagos penguinsIn the Galapagos, habitat loss and invasive species (e.g. dogs, goats) are also growing problems for native wildlife.  But I do not know if the Galapagos penguins have been directly affected by them yet.

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5. 

   Blueplanet Posted 10:35 pm
   03 Jul 2008

   Oceans in crisisOur oceans are now showing the strain of industrial over-exploitation in many ways http://www.blueplanetsociety.org/about14.html

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6. 

   Wolverine Posted 4:37 am
   04 Jul 2008

   Travel To AntarcticaCanis,
   When I worked for Greenpeace in the mid '80s, our position was that all people should leave Antarctica permanently.  People clearly don't belong there, as they were unable to get there by natural means and didn't succeed until boats with engines and/or planes transported them there.  So, that could be one standard: if humans can't sail or walk there, the place should be off limits to people.
   And BTW, traveling does not have to occur by destructive means.  You can bike or take trains across land and sail across water.  Of course humans should not be able to bring non-native species with them, either.

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7. 

   caniscandida Posted 11:30 pm
   05 Jul 2008

   standards of travelSure, Wolverine, I am definitely on board the train you are driving.
   But there are lots of people, from whom we have not heard here, who insist they have a right to go to Antarctica, and who would feel unfairly "fenced in" by your prohibition of travel to that continent, "Don't Fence Me In!" being the true American national anthem.

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8. 

   Larry9247 Posted 11:25 pm
   06 Jul 2008

   Over fishing not climate changeThe fact is that Antarctic ice sheets are getting thicker.  Overfishing is the overriding factor of the declines in all oceanic species.

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