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Humans Are Is Driving a “Catastrophic” Loss of Species
Ryan Witter
October 11, 2024
Friday, October 11th, 2024
Long time no see!
I hope you’ve all missed The Bagel as much as I’ve missed writing it for you!
I’m back (months late) with a new issue and some updates on the horizon.
I’ll have more for you over the coming weeks; for now, let’s stop wasting time and dive right back into the news and research you need to know!
Today’s core story is about: Catastrophic biodiversity loss.
KNEAD TO KNOW
Millions are without power and at least five people are dead after Hurricane Milton swept through western Florida. Milton, supercharged by climate change and warming ocean waters, made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, devastating the region as it continues to recover from Hurricane Helene two weeks prior.
Former President Donald Trump secretly sent COVID tests to Russia while Americans faced a shortage at home. The stunning revelation, which would be disqualifying for a presidential candidate in most normal countries, is detailed in well-known Watergate journalist Bob Woodward’s upcoming book, War.
Inflation dropped to 2.4%, the lowest level in more than three years. The Consumer Price Index rose 2.4% for the 12-month period ending in September, the smallest increase since February 2021 and the latest indicator that the inflation crisis is behind us.
The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a new rule requiring the removal of all lead pipes in the U.S. within 10 years. The landmark move comes with $2.6 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, part of President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan, which is one of the three legislative pieces of Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.
Humans Are Driving a “Catastrophic” Loss of Species
Miles Richardson - The image above shows the global biodiversity decline from 1970-2020 going from left (1970) to right (2020), with years shaded increasingly yellow and gray as more species died.
Human activity is driving a “catastrophic” decline in global biodiversity, with wildlife populations declining by an average of 73% over the past 50 years, according to a new report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
What’s happening:
The report is based on 35,000 population trends and nearly 5,500 species of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles, finding freshwater populations have suffered the heaviest losses (85%), followed by terrestrial (69%), and marine populations (56%).
The fastest declines were observed in Latin America and the Caribbean (an alarming 95% decline), followed by Africa (76%), and Asia and the Pacific (60%).
It’s not all bad, however, as the report also highlights conservation successes, like a 3% yearly increase in a subpopulation of mountain gorillas in East Africa from 2010 to 2016.
Why it matters:
The report found five “dangerous tipping points” are fast approaching, including the drying of the Amazon rainforest, mass coral die-offs, melting ice sheets, changing ocean circulation in the Atlantic, and thawing permafrost.
The report claims it’s not too late to conserve and restore biodiversity on the planet, though it’ll take “big, bold solutions” aimed at tackling the causes of the declines, like transforming our food, energy, and financial systems.
WWF president and CEO Carter Roberts characterized the ongoing biodiversity losses as a “slow-motion catastrophe,” describing the report as “a wake-up call that we need to get going, and fast.”
Bonus bite: On a related note, a new report from the U.N’s World Meteorological Organization found the world’s rivers just had their driest year in at least three decades, warning that heat and drought are causing vital waterways to run dry.
QUICK BITES
Getty
A new study by researchers at New York University found just 0.1% of social media users are responsible for sharing 80% of fake news found on platforms.
Why it matters:
The authors found this extreme minority not only stirs discontent and spreads misinformation online, but also impacts the perceptions of most users who passively “lurk” on social media.
The researchers say the distortion can lead to false polarization, a phenomenon in which political opponents overestimate the extremity of each others’ views, and the normalization of unhealthy and dangerous behaviors.
Bonus bite: A new analysis by The New York Times found Elon Musk tweets way too much and is one of the power users spreading misinformation.
AP
Even Republicans Don’t Like Trump’s Project 2025
A new survey by NBC News found just 7% of Republican voters have a positive view of Former President Donald Trump’s Project 2025 plan, while 33% say they view it negatively.
What to know:
Trump’s extremist plan to gut American institutions and lay the groundwork for far-reaching executive power isn’t even popular among self-identified “MAGA Republicans,” with just 9% of the group viewing it positively.
Trump likes to pretend he doesn’t know anything about Project 2025, a claim that’s not only dubious on its face, but was also debunked by Russell Vought, a self-described Christian nationalist and key author of the plan who also served in the Trump administration.
AP
Kindergarten Vaccination Rates Are Down as the Share with Exemptions Reached an All-Time High
New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows vaccination rates among kindergarteners fell to 92.7% last year, down from 95% prior to the COVID pandemic.
Why it matters:
The data also shows the share of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 3.3% in 2023, up from 3% the year prior. Overall, exemptions increased in 40 states and Washington, D.C.
As if you needed another sign of our current anti-science, anti-expert times (a sitting member of Congress being dumb enough to believe humans can control hurricanes is the latest sign), the decline in vaccination rates translates to roughly 80,000 kids not getting vaccinated.
PLAIN INTERESTING
Rolling Stone
Human Longevity May Have Peaked
By now, you’ve probably heard of and cringed at Bryan Johnson (pictured above with his son whose name I didn't bother looking up), an entrepreneur known for trying to ”reverse” his biological age and spending $2 million each year attempting to do so.
From injecting his son’s blood to taking untold amounts of supplements each day, Johnson claims to have “reduced” his biological age by around five years.
Well, real scientists have some cold water to pour on his plans. Turns out, human longevity might have already peaked.
Peak human:
A new study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Hawaiʻi found life expectancy at birth for the world’s longest-living populations has increased by just 6.5 years since 1990, suggesting the life gains made with modern technology and medical care appear to be over.
The team believes humans are nearing a biological “limit” to life expectancy, unless novel interventions that slow aging at the molecular and biological level become widely available.
Why it matters:
Setting aside Johnson’s financial interest in promoting longevity, he appears to at least be trying to find said interventions, with many in the field viewing his work as both helpful and harmful to longevity research.
In any case, the authors of the present study believe the most significant advancements in longevity through medical interventions have already been achieved, and we should now shift our focus to efforts that slow the effects of aging and extend healthspan.
OVEN-FRESH STATS
$7.5 trillion - How much former President Donald Trump’s campaign proposals would add to the national debt over 10 years, more than twice as much as Vice President Kamala Harris’s proposals ($3.5 trillion), according to a new analysis by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
51% - The percentage of U.S. adults who say politicians spreading misinformation to manipulate their supporters is the most concerning form of misinformation today, according to a new survey by Axios and The Harris Poll.
3% - The percentage of U.S. high school students who identify as transgender, according to a new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey is the first nationally representative survey of transgender and gender-questioning teens.
$3 billion - How much TD Bank has agreed to pay in fines – along with pleading guilty – to settle a money-laundering case brought by several U.S. federal agencies. The penalty is the largest ever imposed by U.S. officials on a bank for violating anti-money laundering laws.
EXTRA SCHMEAR
Long Video. Kick back with Dr. Andrea Love as she fact checks bogus health claims. (22 min)
Short Video. The world’s deadliest mushroom will kill you before you realize what’s happening. (6 min)
Fun Video. Here’s why cheese is yellow. (7 min)
Good Read. Meet Judy-Lynn del Rey, a woman with dwarfism who revolutionized the fantasy genre and founded a publishing powerhouse.
Neat List. Check out 11 of the best photos from past years of the Smithsonian’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest.
Like what you’ve read so far? Don’t be selfish, share The Bagel! You’ll sound super smart and cool recommending The Bagel to your friends, family, coworkers, significant others, insignificant others, and everyone in-between!
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Written by Ryan Wittler