Scientists have cautioned – Earth is entering its sixth phase of mass extinction

A study conducted by the universities of Stanford, Princeton and Berkeley, has revealed that vertebrates were disappearing at a rate 114 times faster than normal. There are apprehensions that the Earth is entering its sixth phase of mass extinctions – and humans could be the first casualty.
The last such event occurred 65 million years ago, when dinosaurs were wiped out – probably as a result of a large meteor hitting the Earth as reported in bbc.com dated 19 June 2015.

One of the authors of the study has indicated that humans are now entering the sixth great mass extinction event and, unless it is checked life would take many millions of years to recover and the human would possibly disappear early on. The scientists arrived at the conclusion by examining historic rates of extinction for vertebrates - animals with backbones - by assessing fossil records. They found that the current extinction rate was more than 100 times higher than in periods when Earth was not going through a mass extinction event.
Since 1900, the report says, more than 400 more vertebrates had disappeared. The worry is that such a loss would normally be seen over a period of up to 10,000 years – but, it has happened within 115 years!!
This can be attributed to known causes like climate change, pollution and deforestation. The study also shows that given the knock-on effect of ecosystems being destroyed, the benefits of nature like pollination by bees could be lost within three human generations.
It can be said that we are sawing off the limb that we are sitting on. In the opinion of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), at least 50 species of animals are inching towards extinction every year. Also, nearly 41% of all amphibians and 25% of mammals are threatened with extinction.
As an example - 94% of all lemurs are under threat and more than a fifth of all lemur species are classed as "critically endangered". Their habitat in Madagascar has been wiped out by illegal logging and they are also regularly hunted for their meat.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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President Obama has a sore throat – will he wear a mask in India on Republic Day

President Obama had been troubled with symptoms of sore throat over the past couple weeks. Hence, he underwent a routine CT scan while visiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The examination lasted about 30-minutes according to the White House and his doctor.
The examination has revealed soft tissue swelling in the posterior throat and, hence, a routine CT scan was carried out. The president is a smoker and it seems he has quit the habit with the assistance of nicotine gum.
He is scheduled to visit India to be chief guest at the Republic Day parade and, with the level of pollution being what it is in Delhi, he would have to be extra careful. It would be embarrassing if he has to wear a mask during the R-Day parade.
He is used to the extremely stringent air quality standards in the US and the extent of pollution in Delhi could become a major irritant.
Last year, on 26th January, the visibility at the IGI was zero. Normally, at this time of the year, pollution levels are high. In the past in 2009, 2010 and 2014, there was dense smog. In 2008, 2011 and 2012 it was moderate.
In order to check pollution during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meet in China so that delegates are not uncomfortable, the Chinese government had taken some drastic measures like shutting down industries and taking off many cars off the roads. Both President Obama and President Putin were attending the summit.

save environment - ban pollution

Yes, pollution of the atmosphere is destroying the ecological balance that is so important for survival of all living beings. The picture is more or less the same in any large metropolis – the air is always heavy with the fumes of exhausts mixed with dust particles and other pollutants. Other pollutants could cover waste gases of nearby factories, and during festival times could be a result if burning firecrackers.

Indiscriminate use of petrol and other gaseous products result in the global warming phenomenon that is being discussed at practically every forum. Everyone is trying to find out solutions to contain the bad effects of gaseous pollutants. Keeping a check on the emission factors of vehicles is not given the seriousness that it deserves. On the one hand we suggest traveling to office in car pools – on the other we invite people to buy the latest model car because it has plenty of new gadgets that will set the owner apart from the commoners. Finance is easily available and, when the car is delivered, who would want to be a part of a car pool and not show off his latest acquisition? There is a new model released practically every month and, there are cases when families proudly declare that they own more than one car. Therefore, expecting car pools to operate to the satisfaction of environmentalists is asking for too much. We human beings want to make our presence felt on society and never bother about the serious repercussions of not heeding the warning signs.

Pure and healthy air is what the body requires and properly maintained parks are one means of inhaling fresh air – here again, open space comes at a premium. Specially constructed jogging tracks in natural surroundings are much sought after by the young and the old but, even now, we seldom walk short distances – instead, we rev up the car to go to the barber's or kick the scooter to go round the corner to pick up a friend. We should cultivate the habit of relying more on alternate means of movement rather depend always on a vehicle powered by petrol or diesel.