Collapse

316 readers

21 users here now

This is the place for discussing the potential collapse of modern civilization and the environment.

Collapse, in this context, refers to the significant loss of an established level or complexity towards a much simpler state. It can occur differently within many areas, orderly or chaotically, and be willing or unwilling. It does not necessarily imply human extinction or a singular, global event. Although, the longer the duration, the more it resembles a ‘decline’ instead of collapse.

RULES

1 - Remember the human

2 - Link posts should come from a reputable source

3 - All opinions are allowed but discussion must be in good faith.

4 - No low effort, high volume and low relevance posts.

Related lemmys:

founded 5 months ago

MODERATORS

eleitl@lemm.ee

maketotaldestr0i@lemm.ee

eris@lemm.ee

The Social Costs of Keystone Species Collapse: Evidence from the Decline of Vultures in India - American Economic Association (www.aeaweb.org)

submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by eleitl@lemm.ee to c/collapse@lemm.ee

1 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Abstract

Scientific evidence has documented we are undergoing a mass extinction of species, caused by human activity. However, allocating conservation resources is difficult due to scarce evidence on damages from losing individual species. This paper studies the collapse of vultures in India, triggered by the expiry of a patent on a painkiller. Our results suggest the functional extinction of vultures—efficient scavengers that removed carcasses from the environment—increased human mortality by over 4 percent because of a large negative shock to sanitation. We quantify damages at $69.4 billion per year. These results suggest high returns to conserving keystone species such as vultures

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] eightpix@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

99% Invisible (Podcast), "Towers of Silence", 23 April 2024.

Same topic, different medium.