[Raptor235]

Scientists came together in Los Angeles earlier this month to launch an “amphibian ark” to save thousands of species, but the animals won’t be going on board two by two. Their ark would involve bio-secure facilities around the globe and would house 500 each of as many as 2,000 species. About 170 amphibian species have already become extinct in the last decade, and scientists call them “the canaries in the coal mine” because their permeable skin makes them especially susceptible to environmental changes. The chytrid fungus, discovered in 1998, appears to be speeding the demise of many species that were already threatened by pollution, habitat loss and global warming. The frogs for the Ark would be collected and cleaned to avoid any potential contamination, at a cost of $40 million. Saving the species long-term could cost ten times as much.

Source: Jenny Jarvie. ‘Amphibian Ark’ seen as species’ last best hope. Los Angeles Times, February 16. Photo: The golden toad, endemic to Monteverde, Costa Rica, is believed to be extinct.

You can find the entire article here http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/environ...in-los-angeles

[dreads]

That is so sad.. 170 a year .. aww thats going to increase fast..

We should use our money to fund and save those animals instead of going to iraq and making the world worse..

If i was president, I would of actually spent more money on saving the earth instead of destorying it

[Redofthelost]

America's president is still a bit slow with saving the eath, luckily the rest of the world is taking action as you can see in the other stories. But its not just amphibians that are becoming extint, its everything.

[mrs.tinsley]

They spent $40 MILLION to save some frogs???? lame. They could have used that money for something more useful, like curing cancer.

[fiona]

I do not think that cancer is going to be cured quite yet as the pharmaceutical companies has such a hold on the healthcare system. That is a whole other different topic and discussion. Anyway back on topic I am glad that they did this and hopefully more species will be preserved in order to have them around for the future.

[rubybeetle]

How cool, a modern ark. I'm glad they are doing it before more become extinct.

[Turtle Girl]

Losing those frogs, and the species that follow, would cost far more the $40 million. What value do you put on clean air, water and food? As indicatori species, amphibians are showing up the way of the future if we don't change. Species are going extinct every day, and all species are interdependent. We're fragmenting the vast puzzle that is the earth before we even understand how it all works. We don't know what the critical point is.

Aside from the narcissistic, self-preservation aspect, it's important to remember that all life is precious. How long did it take for each of these amphibians to develop into the uniquely adapted animals they are. $40 million to help save some frogs is definitely worth it -- we pay more on long-term contracts to professional athletes. Why not spend as much to preserve our own future?

[stav]

The earth is a carefully balanced living mechanism, every single one of it's parts down to the tiniest microbe is part of it, every time we lose one, even a small seemingly insignificant little golden frog, that delicate balance is upset... possibly beyond repairing. What if that little frog is the sole foodstuff of another species, that then also is lost, and so on further up the foodchain...

For want of a nail... the shoe was lost....

[mollyL]

This is a wonderful thing and all true friends of the earth sees its value. The trolls always start with the money invested. "We could cure cancer" with 40 million is about the most disingenuous statement I've heard in some time.

[Green-Moo]

One of those little frogs may well hold the key to curing cancer. Who knows what scientists will discover in the future?