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<DIV><SPAN class=978292422-10042006><EM><STRONG>NEWS
RELEASE</STRONG></EM></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=978292422-10042006></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=978292422-10042006><EM><STRONG>David Suzuki
Foundation</STRONG></EM></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=978292422-10042006></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=978292422-10042006><EM><STRONG>New report shows tens of
thousands of species at risk of extinction from climate
change</STRONG></EM></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=978292422-10042006></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=978292422-10042006><EM><STRONG>April 11,
2006</STRONG></EM></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=978292422-10042006></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=978292422-10042006>TORONTO -- <SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Climate change will cause an
unprecedented extinction of tens of thousands of species around the world, says
a groundbreaking new study published in the scientific journal Conservation
Biology.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">“Climate change is rapidly
becoming the most serious threat to the planet’s biodiversity,” said lead author
Dr. Jay Malcolm, an associate forestry professor at the University of Toronto.
“This study provides even stronger scientific evidence that global warming will
result in catastrophic species loss across the planet.”</P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Partly funded by the David
Suzuki Foundation and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), this is the first study to
document the extreme vulnerability of biological hotspots around the world to
the effects of climate change.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Dr. Malcolm and other
scientists studied habitat changes in 25 global biodiversity hotspots – areas
that are home to a disproportionate number of the world’s species. Covering only
about one per cent of the earth’s terrestrial surface, these areas are home to
44 per cent of the world’s plants and 35 per cent of the vertebrates.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Areas particularly
vulnerable to climate change include the tropical Andes, the Cape Floristic
region of South Africa, Southwest Australia, and the Atlantic forests of Brazil,
Paraguay and Argentina.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">“Although Canada wasn’t
included in the study, the results serve as a warning of the kinds of effects
climate change will have on our wild spaces,” said Dr. Faisal Moola, the David
Suzuki Foundation’s director of science. “This is because many of the factors
that the study found to increase the risk of extinction due to climate change
are of great importance in Canada as well.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">The study found that animals
and plants that are highly restricted in where they can live, so-called
“endemic” species, are particularly at risk from the effects of climate change.
In Canada, the Rocky Mountains, the Queen Charlotte Islands and the Far North
are home to many such species, including many types of fish, butterflies and
plants.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">“Because these species are
found nowhere else on the planet, Canada has a global responsibility to ensure
they don’t disappear due to climate change,” said Dr. Moola. “Canada’s parks and
protected areas won’t be able to protect our biodiversity unless we have a
national strategy to deal with climate change.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">"Governments, industry and
people everywhere have to start reducing fossil fuel pollution as if our lives
depended on it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Actually, the very
survival of tens of thousands of species does depend on action to avoid
dangerous climate change," said Julia Langer, Director, Global Threats for
WWF-Canada.<SPAN style="COLOR: red"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The David Suzuki Foundation and
WWF are calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to implement the Kyoto Protocol
and start putting concrete solutions into action to reduce Canada’s greenhouse
gas emissions.</P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><SPAN
class=978292422-10042006>-30- </SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><SPAN
class=978292422-10042006></SPAN> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">The full report, Global
Warming and Extinctions of Endemic Species From Biodiversity Hotspots, can be
found online at <A title=http://individual.utoronto.ca/jay_malcolm/
href="http://individual.utoronto.ca/jay_malcolm/">http://individual.utoronto.ca/jay_malcolm/</A>
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">The report was funded by the
David Suzuki Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, the Center for Applied
Biodiversity Science at Conservation International, and the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of Canada.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">The study’s authors include
scientists from the University of Toronto, University of New England, USDA
Forest Service, World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p><SPAN
class=978292422-10042006>For more information or to arrange interviews,
contact:</SPAN></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p><SPAN
class=978292422-10042006><BR>Sarah Marchildon<BR>Communications
specialist<BR>David Suzuki Foundation<BR>604-732-4228, ext. 237</P>
<P class="">Dr. Faisal Moola<BR>Director of science<BR>David Suzuki
Foundation<BR>604-732-4228, ext. 261</P>
<P class="">Dr. Jay Malcolm<BR>Associate forestry professor<BR>University of
Toronto<BR>416-978-0142</P>
<P class="">Wendy Douglas<BR>Manager, communications<BR>World Wildlife Fund
Canada<BR>416-484-7726</P>
<P class="">Marshall Maher<BR>Media manager<BR>Conservation
International<BR>Washington, D.C.<BR>202-912-141<SPAN
class=978292422-10042006>1</SPAN></SPAN></o:p></SPAN></P></SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>