From the Sarasota Herald-Tribune:
Alarming number of manatees are dying in Florida this year
An environmental watchdog group says manatees are dying at an alarming rate this year and cautions 2018 could be one of the deadliest years on record for the sea creatures.
More than 160 manatees have died in the first two months of the year — a morality rate that sets a pace to easily eclipse last year’s total of 538 manatee deaths and could surpass the all-time record of 803 deaths in 2013, national nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) warns.
So far, 166 manatees have died statewide through March 2, according to statistics by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Cold snaps in January accounted for 51 of the statewide deaths from cold-stress, state statistics show.
“Florida’s manatees are one big freeze away from an ecological disaster and need more, not less, protection,” PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch said in a statement. “Manatees may join polar bears as one of the first iconic victims of extinction in the wild from climate change.”
Global Warming? Have not seen anything appreciable for the last 20 years so now they are branding it Climate Change. Guess what - the climate has always been changing. It was changing while we were still living in the treetops and it will continue to change long after we are extinct.
The idea that the human race can effect a drastic change in the world's climate is absolute pure hubris.
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