Yangtze River Dolphin extinct

[DavidPT40]

Unfortunately, the Yangtze River Dolphin has gone extinct. This was a dolphin that lived in a river in China. Nearly blind, it used its sonar as its primary means of navigation and food locating.

I don't think any of us would care to dive in the Yangtze River anyways. Its heavily polluted with chemicals, sewage, and has high amounts of commercial and fish boat traffic.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/13/AR2006121302039.html

 

[Midnight Star]

"When I bury the world beneath my feet in the name of progress, who then will be left to aid me in my time of need, then, to bury me?"

-----

Mike.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

Im surprised more havent posted on this thread!?! That is horrible, I hate to hear of any creature going extinct, and especially in the ocean....Very sad and unfortunatly most people will never know this animal just went extinct or ever even existed.....

 

[Kim]

The Chinese are really running into some serious ecological problems in their drive to industrialize and modernize. Whether the problems are actually much more serious than what was going on in Europe or the US 100 years ago is hard to say. I don't suppose any of the big factories, mills, mines etc etc have been beneficial. It's sad to see the price paid though, and one has to wonder how long before it's not just creatures like dolphins paying in blood.

 

[H2Andy]

yeah, i read the story today ...

just a sad chapter in a much larger tragedy:

we are in what is really just the beginning of probably the worst mass exctiontion ever ... thanks to humans

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/08/23/green.century.mass.extinction/index.html

 

[Mr.X]

Im surprised more havent posted on this thread!?! That is horrible, I hate to hear of any creature going extinct, and especially in the ocean....Very sad and unfortunatly most people will never know this animal just went extinct or ever even existed.....

I posted something about the impending confrontation that is going to occur in the Antarctic between Japanese whalers, Greenpeace and Sea Shepherds. It was removed. As I said on the deleted thread - let people know that the magnificent creatures of the earth are disappearing right under our noses. This also includes people - think Darfur, think Sudan.

X

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

There is a movie coming out called Shark Water that addresses some of these issues, but mainly with sharks....I suggest you talk this movie up and get as many people to see it as possible....Its supposed to open everyones eyes up to what we are doing to the ocean...... I think the website is www.sharkwater.com

I think people are the worst virus ever....we come in, expand, and kill everything that gets in our way......just like a virus....

 

[Midnight Star]

I couldn't believe how many sharks are caught and killed each year (totaling in the millions!) ... that number is simply incredible to me - I have no idea how they've held on for so long with those numbers. I'd much rather be someone who says to my grandchildren, dad didn't put that one on his wall so you guys could see it alive and in the water. Isn't it gorgeous there - look at it's majesty and colors. See how it swims across the reef? I simply can't show them that with a head mounted on a wall.



-----

Mike.

 

[Mr.X]

All of this is becoming too depressing. Do we live in a world where immediate gratification outweighs the need to leave a legacy of wholeness for our children? Do we destroy the gatekeepers to get our materials fixes, or political agendas across? After spending a day working with feral teens and clueless parents, squeezing my way past holiday shoppers fighting for the latest Elmo, and seeing people insulate their feelings with ipods and cell phones I can say that we are racing quickly towards the precipice. The signs are there and we’re not looking. God help us.

Too much today and too little support out in the real world. It must be better somewhere else on this planet.

:shakehead X

 

[Midnight Star]

In the numbness of the void, where all things are a commodity, ever sold, never again priceless; I have bought and laid, until I looked down upon where I stood. Across the bridge of nothing have I trod, until upon nothing I there stood; lest now I should fall, nothing must I become.

-----

Mike.