Study: humans may cause mass extinction in oceans

Source: informationclearinghouse.info

By: Carl Zimmer

A team of scientists, in a groundbreaking analysis of data from hundreds of sources, has concluded that humans are on the verge of causing unprecedented damage to the oceans and the animals living in them.

“We may be sitting on a precipice of a major extinction event,” said Douglas J. McCauley, an ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an author of the new research, which was published on Thursday in the journal Science.

But there is still time to avert catastrophe, Dr. McCauley and his colleagues also found. Compared with the continents, the oceans are mostly intact, still wild enough to bounce back to ecological health.

“We’re lucky in many ways,” said Malin L. Pinsky, a marine biologist at Rutgers University and another author of the new report. “The impacts are accelerating, but they’re not so bad we can’t reverse them.”

Scientific assessments of the oceans’ health are dogged by uncertainty: It’s much harder for researchers to judge the well-being of a species living underwater, over thousands of miles, than to track the health of a species on land. And changes that scientists observe in particular ocean ecosystems may not reflect trends across the planet.

How the Masses are Mindlessly Moved by the Mainstream Media (Video)

 War of the Worlds Radio Drama and the Power of the Media. A classic example of how the masses are mindlessly moved by the media.

Resources available for Campus Activism

Source: ampalestine.org

School is back in session and we know that pro-Israel organizations are making a concerted effort to whitewash Israel’s crimes that occurred this summer.

The tragedy that unfolded in Gaza  is unparalleled – Israeli strikes killed more than 2,000 Palestinians, including more than 500 children. The aggression caused the largest mass displacement of people since the Six Day War in 1967.

Don’t get caught unprepared! You can help your colleagues understand Palestine and Gaza by holding workshops and lectures. AMP has free materials, speakers, and other support available for your student group! Check out the Campus Activism page on our website!

Mass casualties as Gaza market area bombed (Video)

At least 17 killed and 200 injured in Shujayea, an area Israel said was not included in four-hour humanitarian window.

Source: http://www.aljazeera.com/

At least 17 Palestinians have been killed and 200 wounded in the bombardment of an area of Shujayea during a “humanitarian pause” unilaterally announced by Israel.

The attack came on the outskirts of the Shujayea, between Gaza City and the Israeli border, shortly after the Israeli army said it was observing a limited, four-hour Wednesday ceasefire from midday GMT, or 3pm local time.

Weapons of Mass Distraction: 5 Reasons Why Israel is an Apartheid State (Video)

 Abby Martin calls out the corporate media’s visceral coverage of Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks on concern the danger of Israel becoming an “Apartheid State”, citing several examples of why Israel’s segregated social system already meets that definition.

ELECTRIC BLUE SEAS

This natural phenomenon is known as the “bioluminescent bloom.” It’s the result of a mass of naturally-glowing plankton washing up all at once on a single tide. The best part is the effect is not harmful to humans at all.

MONARCH BUTTERFLY MIGRATION

Individually, Monarch butterflies are orange and black, but when they mass for migration they fill the air with color. Their migration path covers a large part of North America and is prompted by the sensitivity of the butterflies to cold. In warmer areas the butterflies overwinter in large groups that may cover whole trees.