[Sust-mar] Two days left to stop mass extinction

[Peter Watson]

Nothing local in the sust-mar queue today, so here's a global online 
petition from Avaaz.org that's really worth taking a moment to sign:


https://secure.avaaz.org/en/the_end_of_whales/?fp


Days left to stop mass extinction

A third of all animals and plants on earth face extinction -- endangered 
blue whales, coral reefs, and a vast array of other species. The wave of 
human-driven extinction has reached a rate not seen since the fall of the 
dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

But there is a plan to save them -- a global agreement to create, fund and 
enforce protected areas covering 20% of our seas and lands by 2020. Right 
now, 193 governments are meeting in Japan to address this crisis. But 
without public pressure, they are likely to fall short of the bold action 
needed to avert the collapse of ecosystems the world over.

This summit ends on Friday, October 29 -- we have no time to lose. Let's 
rapidly build a global public outcry urging governments to save all life on 
earth from runaway decline. Sign the petition below and it will be delivered 
directly to the meeting:


To all parties of the Convention on Biodiversity:
One third of Earth's species face extinction. We call on you to urgently 
agree to create, execute and fund the protection of 20% of our oceans and 
lands by 2020. Only bold and immediate action will protect our planet's rich 
diversity of life.