"Perfect Storm" Killing Earth's Frogs

(CBS)  Amphibians like the red-legged frog are Earth's ultimate tough guy. For millions of years they've endured - even through previous mass extinctions. But now scientists say their numbers are declining at a rate that sends a deafening warning about human impact on climate change and the environment, CBS News science and technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg reports.

"These guys are survivors, yet here they are in our time, when more than 40 percent of amphibians around the world are threatened," said Vance Vrendenburg, associate professor at San Francisco University.

Climate change and disease are seen as the most serious threats to amphibians like the harlequin frog from Equador - specifically, a fungus known as chytridiomycosis.

"The perfect storm is happening," Vrendenburg said. "All these different factors are leading to their decline, and it's really, really serious. We've been finding dead frogs by the hundreds and thousands."

The new report comes as the Department of the Interior is proposing changes to the Endangered Species Act that would eliminate the need for an independent scientific review in certain cases when it comes to assessing how federal projects, like dams or highways, might affect protected species.

"If you ran into a problem where you really were concerned about something and wanted to do detailed scientific analysis, these rules would make it much harder to do that," said Steve Cohen of Columbia University.

But others say the current regulations are unnecessarily restrictive.

"The Endangered Species Act has evolved into something that is less concerned with helping species and more concerned with exerting economic control and holding up - or sometimes stopping - important economic activity," said Ben Lieberman of the Heritage Foundation.

That thinking baffles Cohen.

"We're very dependent on the same environment those animals are dependent on; so like a canary going down into cave, if the canary dies, we're next," he said.

Environmental groups are outraged today. But the Department of the Interior says it's a necessary move to prevent the Endangered Species Act from being used as a "back door" to regulate gasses blamed for global warming.

[rf35]

All the more reason to forbid offshore drilling. The world depends on our oceans for oxygen supplies, should that not be enough reason to halt offshore drilling? We must do everything humanly possible to slow global warming. The Republicans seem to believe that if we don''t pay attention to global warming, it won''t hurt us. Unfortunately, we will all be hurt by it, nobody is exempt.

Posted by shameonbush at 07:23 AM : Aug 13, 2008

Just how, exactly, do you plan on stopping a natural occurrence like climate change?

If humans are killing the frogs, then we need to take steps to stop. I''m all for reducing pollution and protecting the environment. I just don''t buy into man-made global warming. The planet is warming for purely natural reasons. The climate has changed many times in the last 4.5 billion years and it will change many more times in the next 4.5 billion years. It will not be suitable for life forever. That being said, when humans are responsible for putting a species in jeopardy, humans should take steps to rectify the situation. If not, let nature do its thing.

[rf35]

Let''s all go eat some c r a p. Hmmm, who''d sell it in a bun?
Posted by hypnotoad72

I''m guessing McDonalds.
Posted by haoli25 at 02:20 AM : Aug 13, 2008

McCrap?

[lovesamerica]

Did anyone read the part about frogs being like the canaries in coal mines? Frogs are an important part of our environment,as are all living creatures. They eat insects and are meals to larger animals,If they go extinct,soon to follow will be their predators. Besides being cuter than pooh, frogs play an important role in our world. lawn chemicals,pesticides, environment destruction all play a role. The world needs frogs and I myself need to live in a world with this lovable species.

[sjw1253]

I don''t think that this issue should be a partisan issue... Some people want to use any topic to put down their rival parties.

As for the poster who complained of the frogs outside his windows ... I have had the great privledge to sleep in the country a few times when the frogs are in "season" with their vocals...

I love the sounds and wish they were vocal all year long. They only make themselves known for a brief period in the summer (I believe usually when the season is about to change).

I do not understand people who do not appreciate the marvels of nature. It is what gives us life and there are some wonders that we should truly find enjoyment.

I wish I could refer my 7 year old grandson to this article and to learn to discuss things but some pretty rude and crude people have so much fun playing with their ability to avoid the censors especially with the use of the "F" word that it makes it simply a non-educational and loses its value in educating children in current events.

If you had any intelligence you would learn to make intellectual comments instead of demonstrating your lack of an IQ that provides you the capacity to use a better vocabulary to express your thoughts...

[isntitobvus]

stn-sage: you are right ... except why in the world do you believe that Nancy Pelosi actually understands any of this?

[isntitobvus]

yeah, liberals hate frogs. What a bunch of weirdos ... yep, GOPers - that fits. morons morons morons. little wonder you kiss bushs'' ***.

[seafang]

" And "survival of the fittest" is not a natural law. Natural Selection is a natural law. They are not the same. "

Mere semantics ibzjem; Natural selection is just the process by which Mother Nature determines which is fittest to survive in the prevailing conditions.

But then you already knew that didn''t you ?

Humans have adapted to a wider range of natural conditions than almost any other species; there are people living in places that span the complete gamut of daily temperature range on earth from +60C down to -90C, and they inhabit ever y place in between that (temperature wise). So don''t look for a fraction of a degree F Temperature change, having any effect on human survival; we have no means of even measuring such a change if it should occur; so it most certainly wouldn''t affect us.

[dcm5150]

Over 99% of all species that have ever lived on earth are extinct. The frogs will go extinct and soon humans will go extinct. We are living in a freak climate period on this planet conducive to our existance, but the climate will change just as it always has throughout the billions of years this planet has been around (yes, the artic area was once tropical...hence all the oil, most of north america was under ice several times, etc). With this climate change will come the extinction or near extinction of the human species.

[ibzjem]

If you don''t care about these frogs then you don''t care about nature period. I suppose you would look outside your window at the rain and say "there''s no drought on this planet. I don''t see it. There''s nothing to worry about. It''s all made up."

Seems most people don''t care about what''s past their own back yard. That''s a frightening mindset. We are supposed to be stewards of this planet. We have the capability. It''s not here for our taking, it''s here for us to share. And "survival of the fittest" is not a natural law. Natural Selection is a natural law. They are not the same.

[gop_forever]

There is nothing to worry about. This is just scare tactics from the liberals. They will have us thinking if we drive cars, we will grow 3rd arms out of our foreheads.