|
|
100 pictures for Earth Day Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com April 22, 2009
Past extinctions have shown it takes at least 5 million years to restore biodiversity to the level equal to that prior of the extinction event event. Our actions today will determine whether Earth will be biologically impoverished for the 500 trillion or more humans that will inhabit the earth during that future period. The extinction event that is occurring as you read these words rivals the extinctions caused by natural disasters of global ice ages, planetary collisions, atmospheric poisoning, and variations in solar radiation. The difference is that this extinction was conceived by humans and subject to human decisions. We are the last, best hope for life as we prefer it on this planet. The lesson of mongabay.com is we may not have to accept this future. A lot can still be done. Using our intelligence and ingenuity, the human species can preserve biodiversity and unique places for future generations, without compromising the quality of life for present populations. These pictures represent a celebration and a reminder of life that surrounds us. ![]() Gmelin's Bronzeback snake (Dendrelaphis pictus) eating a frog in Malaysia ![]() Colorado River, Grand Canyon Mountains near Muzagata Peak, China ![]() Panther chameleon, Madagascar Black-handed Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) in Beilze White-faced capuchin in Hacienda Baru ![]() Stick Mantid, Madagascar ![]() Male ostrich defending chicks, Tanzania Blue-and-yellow macaws flying toward clay lick, Peru ![]() Great Barrier Reef, Australia ![]() Tenrec, Madagascar ![]() Pair of plains zebra, Kenya ![]() Baby caiman, Costa Rica Red Leaf-monkey (Presbytis rubicunda) in Borneo Pitcher plant, Nepenthes reinwardtiana, in rain forest of Borneo, Indonesia ![]() Tomato frog, Madagascar ![]() Sunset in Roatan, Honduras ![]() Ring-tailed lemurs, Madagascar Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah ![]() Little Colorado River, Grand Canyon ![]() Clear-wing butterfly (Pseudohaeterea hypaesia, Colombia ![]() Lion cubs, Tanzania ![]() Sunset on the Mekong near Luang Prabang, Laos Young lowland gorilla, Gabon ![]() Sunset over the Pacific Ocean, Maui ![]() Sunrise near Hana on the island of Maui, Hawaii. ![]() Swordplants in the Pantanal, Brazil ![]() Cabybara, Brazil Tree climbing lion, Uganda Cancun sunset, Mexico The cryptic short-tailed Nighthawk (Lurocalis semitorquatus) in Costa Rica ![]() Danum river in Malaysia ![]() Moth on the underside of a leaf caught by the sun, Costa Rica ![]() Rhea in the Pantanal, Brazil ![]() Jaguar in Brazil ![]() Humpback whales breaching, Alaska ![]() Jabiru stork, Brazil Hatchling Olive Ridley sea turtle near Hacienda Baru, Costa Rica ![]() Black Caiman, Brazil ![]() Baobabs, Madagascar ![]() Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) in flight over crashing surf, Costa Rica ![]() Ranomafana, Madagascar Adult Male Orangutan, Indonesia ![]() Blueberry poison arrow frog, Panama ![]() Big Sur, Big Sur Reefs off Cancun, Mexico Swarms of lake flies in a garden near Lake Victoria, Uganda ![]() Ring-tailed lemurs, Madagascar Praying mantis in Brownsberg National Park, Suriname ![]() Metallic green, yellow, and copper colored beetle in Malaysia ![]() Rainbow racerunner, Honduras ![]() Two young brown bears on a rocky beach in Alaska, Alaska Olive Ridley sea turtle headed out to see near Dominical, Costa Rica ![]() Female lion with wildebeest kill, Tanzania Entrance to St. Herman's Cave in Belize Red frog in Las Cruces, Costa Rica Tree frog in Costa Rica ![]() Automeris moth caterpillar displaying its neon green but venemous spines, Colombia Hatchling Olive ridley sea turtles headed out to sea ![]() Mountains in Utah, United States Virgin River in Zion National Park, Utah ![]() Sunset over Tarangire National Park, Tanzania African elephant, Uganda ![]() Blue and yellow macaw, Colombia ![]() Canyon des Singes in Isalo, Madagascar Blue insect in Borneo Page 1 SHARE THIS ARTICLE:
News index | RSS | News Feed | Twitter | Home Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing
|
|
|
MONGABAY.COM
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER INTERACT
STORE SHIRTS HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS / PRINTS
CALENDARS
CANVAS BAGS
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright mongabay 2009 |