Extinction of millions of species 'greatly exaggerated'

By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent

7:00PM GMT 24 Jan 2013 29 Comments

Reports of the extinction of millions of species on Earth have been greatly exaggerated, a team of scientists has said.  In the past scientists have warned that up to five per cent of species are at risk of dying-out as a result of climate change, deforestation and development.  But a new analysis by the University of New Zealand found that this figure was five times greater than reality because the number of animals living in the wild in the first place had been over estimated.   This meant that conservationists assumed that rates of decline were much faster, as they were starting from a higher point.

In fact the rate of extinction is much slower, with just one per cent of animals in danger of dying out globally.   Writer Mark Twain famously responded to the news that his obituary had appeared in the New York Journal by saying: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."  Writing in the journal Science, the researchers calculate that there are around five million species of plants and animals on Earth, of which 1.5 million have been named.  This is far fewer than some other estimates, which put the figure as high as 100 million. …To Read More…

My Take - What is the real lesson that should be taken away from this?  They don't have a clue!  All of these species that allegedly have been disappearing every year were nothing more that speculation and assumptions that have not been tested and cannot be tested....or as one critic said.... nothing more than electrons bouncing around in E. O. Wilson's computer.  Get over it!