One half of world's plant species threatened with extinction

experiment
http://www.progressivethought.net/images/dubya.jpg

again

blatham, FYI: Did you know that there are more varieties of plants in Cape Town than any where else on earth? Teeny weeny CapeTown has has more plants than any country or continent in this world. c.i.

ci

Though it has never occurred at any time in the past, as I consider you my personal sage and mentor, looking up to you as the sort of person I would wish to become when I reach my senior years, I believe your post to be in error.

We might have lost the opportunity to catalog or take genetic samples of a variety of plants but this will not be the first time this has happened here on earth. Has anyone been looking for the possibility of new plant life ? Is it possible ?

algis

I'm not sure what you mean by 'new plant life'. All sexually reproduction results in random variation (newness) as is, though slowly. Regarding genetic banks, the potential problems with this level and rapidity of species reduction is that living forms exist within an ecological matrix and effects caused on one may well have critical consequences for some or most of the others. The greater the die-off, the more critical the effects. We, of course, are part of such matrixes. And they are not by any means well understood. So it's not at all unimaginable that we could, in say 100 years, end up with a nice library of genetic information on extinct species yet be under such ecological and social stresses ourselves that our fancy library will sit there unread and unused.

Here is another slant on your link.
http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/mexico/biodiversity/faq.html

The link talks of genetically engineered corn contaminating existing species of corn in Mexico.

This is a huge problem and one that might be unstoppable. I saw an interview with a woman who farms organic corn in a state where genetic engineering takes place. Wind blew some of the pollen from the genetically engineered corn into her fields, contaminating her crop.

She has lost an enormous amount of money due to the contamination because she can no longer advertise her corn as organic, which was the major selling point.

Lawsuits against huge corporations take years, meaning many small farmers will go out of business before the lawsuits are decided, assuming that there is any chance the decision will be favorable to the small farmer.

Blatham, your second link shows how badly the Shrub needs to be trimmed.

dianne

Thank you kindly for the link. It is early and I hadn't been nearly depressed enough yet. Yikes.

Re the second link you allude to...one might pray for a terminator gene in that particular offspring.

I must inquire, are you mmediane from abuzz?

Blatham, sorry I got your morning off to a depressing start.
I have lots of ideas along the lines of your terminator gene, but they are rather sadistic and one of the purposes of this wonderful new site is to bring a civility to the posts. Maybe I'll let loose on abuzz.

The extraordinary beauty of some of the native plants as well as the part they play in the overall health of differenct habitats and ecosystems makes it vital to maintain their place in nature. The present administration isn't likely to do much to help maintain the few that are left.

Yes, I am mmediane from abuzz. It's good to see you here!

Diane

Well met, again.

Re political discussions...yes, abuzz discussions have somehow gathered the monster-tractor-pull crowd, and civility will be most refreshing here. I'm hoping onmymarc will arrive soon too, as I think this crowd of people will be very responsive to her work.