Biodiversity and the Big Island

[Rob Tucker]

I was reading an article on biodiversity on the BBC website (link #1).  A couple basic theorem stood out for me. 

One was that our human supply chain which supports us all (and is somewhat threatened at the present) is, at the root base, supported by the Earth's biodiversity, which is rapidly dwindling.

Another was that: "As with the accelerating climate emergency, what happens over the next year will - to a large extent - set humanity's course for the rest of the decade; and what happens this decade is likely to define our prospects for the rest of this century,".

Thought provoking stuff.  Got me to peek into the status of diversity for the Hawaiian islands and I found this to quote (link #2):

"The team concluded that the shrinking land areas of the older islands began putting stress on the flora and fauna several million years after the islands formed. Today, all of the islands except the Big Island of Hawaii – the only island still growing – have experienced a decrease in species diversity, albeit imperceptibly on human time scales, since even before the extinction caused by human activity."

link #1: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58859105
link #2:  https://news.berkeley.edu/2017/03/16/haw...-of-years/

This reinforces a couple conclusions I reached years ago and is summed up in the local phrase Lucky to Live Hawaii.  It appears very likely that just about the time I may expect to leave this life the shit will be hitting the fan.

Lucky we all are to live Hawaii.

[Chas]

"...just about the time I may expect to leave this life the shit will be hitting the fan."

Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing for quite some time now. I feel sorry for young people today.

[ChunksterK]

Biodiversity and food security are both important and related to each other, but I worry about the latter more than the former in relation to Hawaii. This is the only island that even comes remotely close to feeding itself, and the production is neither diverse nor well managed in the economic sense. Beef, pork, and tropical fruits come to mind as the only plentiful food items we produce. Maybe we can assuage our hunger pangs with Kona coffee.

Frau Chunkster has this recurring nightmare in which the ships stop coming to Hawaii. She and Little Chunkchen had a conversation in German when Covid was disrupting supplies in what was a relatively minor way. It roughly translates as:

Frau: Which of the neighbor's children will we eat when the ships stop coming?
Chunkchen: Let's start with that noisy one.

German humor can be very dark, but sometimes prescient.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

... shit will be hitting the fan.

From Rob’s 1st link:
The global biodiversity framework replaces the plan for the last decade, which missed all 20 targets.

We humans have bad aim.  Especially when those in charge figure the shit >>> fan hits someone else.

[AaronM]

Amen Rob.

[eightfingers2.0]

First step has been accomplished.
Time to take the next one.

[Durian Fiend]

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/10/911500907...e-to-blame

The world has lost two thirds of its wildlife in the past 50 years.

[Carey]

After meeting up with with Dr Sylvia Earle in the 1990ʻs, I chose to study for my Masters here, in part because of some of the leaders in the biodiversity field that I had the pleasure to study with, including Fred T. MacKenzie & Jim Juvik....

One line I wold correct "Today, all of the islands except the Big Island of Hawaii – the only island still growing – have experienced a decrease in species diversity, albeit imperceptibly on human time scales, since even before the extinction caused by human activity." is not really true, as even Hawai`i Island, though growing, has had a huge hit on the biodiversity overall... though not to the extent of the remaining diversity in Papahanaumokuakea.... where island mass loss & ocean changes are creating a huge double whammy...

[Space Karen]

The population of many nations doubled from the 1950s to 2022.

There were only 2.5 billion people on earth in 1950. Now we're at almost 8 billion in 2022.

As human populations expand they destroy forests and wildlife. Throwing everything out of balance. Staple foods people rely on for survival like bluefin tuna (ahi) have been on the endangered species list for more than a decade. If they're hunted into extinction, life is going to become much harder.

People like to think aliens or a zombie apocalypse are our biggest threats.

Mismanagement of resources, and uninformed decisions, could be more dangerous.

[eightfingers2.0]

What we’re they calling it in the 70’s?

Population bomb or something like that?