Best of our wild blogs: 13 May 19

Bryozoan surveys, May 2019
wild shores of singapore

Awls of Singapore : Part 1
Butterflies of Singapore

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Why rapid extinction of plant, animal species matters

DARYL CHOO Today Online 12 May 19;

SINGAPORE — Human activities are putting a million species worldwide at risk of extinction, threatening ecosystems that people around the world depend on for survival, a United Nations (UN) assessment has found.

The 1,500-page report, compiled by more than a hundred international experts, is the most comprehensive assessment on biodiversity and ecosystems yet.

A summary of findings, released last Monday (May 6) in Paris, paints a bleak picture.

Global plant and animal species’ extinction is now “10 to hundreds of times” higher compared to that over the last 10 million years. Many of these extinctions will happen within decades, and that rate is set to climb, the report said.

At least 680 vertebrate species have already been driven to extinction by human action in the last 500 years. The loss of habitats, overconsumption and pollution will result in countless more facing a similar fate.

REPERCUSSIONS OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS

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Malaysia: Open burning by pineapple farmers causes haze in Sarawak

KANDAU SIDI New Straits Times 12 May 19;

MIRI: Irresponsible pineapple farmers, conducting open burning in the Vista Perdana and Desa Bahagia areas, have been identified as the culprits behind the haze problem plaguing southern Sarawak.

Assistant Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin said the farmers had apparently ignored the dry weather notices issued earlier to warn local plantation owners against such activity.

The haze was said to have engulfed several housing areas nearby with some residents claiming to have fallen ill.

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