Scientist, author, lecturer, and species explorer, Quentin Wheeler, has named more than 100 species new to science and published more than 175 scientific papers. In the first half, he revealed why he believes we have entered the first major mass extinction event since the disappearance of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. According to Wheeler, species are going extinct hundreds to thousands of times faster than in prehistory. With a background as an entomologist, he confirmed the notion that we are seeing fewer insects, such as those that used to accumulate on car windshields. One study noted an 80% decline in local insect populations in just the last 20 years. "That is a frightening precipitous decline that would [also] have an effect on birds that eat insects," he commented.
Climate change and the use of pesticides in agriculture are factors in the insect decline, he continued. While there is hard data on the extinction of some 500 plant species and 700 vertebrate animal species, that can be extrapolated to the loss of around 20,000 species per year, he suggested. However, with 10 million species to work with, "there's still time to take steps to minimize the number that we ultimately lose...I think it's critical that we complete an inventory of life on Earth so that we know what we have lost," he added. Wheeler said that this is the first time in history that humans have driven a mass extinction event. "And so, from my perspective, that puts a strong ethical responsibility on us...We have it within our power to maximize the number of species that survive and to assure that those surviving are diverse as possible," he continued. Diversity, he stressed, is crucial as it makes our ecosystems more resilient.
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Author, social worker, and astrologer Carmen Turner-Schott began her astrological work at 16 after an experience with a glowing ball of light, which led her to study metaphysics and the Edgar Cayce material. In the latter half, she outlined the characteristics of the different astrological houses and how they interact with a person's birth chart. In astrology, the sky is divided into 12 sections or houses, and each of these houses is associated with a specific zodiac sign and planet. Based on the time and date of someone's birth, their chart forms a kind of "soul map" in relation to the houses and planets, she noted.
Each area of life is ruled by one of the 12 zodiac signs, she explained. For instance, "the 1st house is ruled by Aries, which is a fire sign...[and] is all about your identity, your self, your appearance," she said. "The 5th house is your self-expression, your creativity...a lot of talented, artistic people have this house's planets," she detailed. Turner-Schott particularly focused on the 8th house, which deals with birth, death, and regeneration and is ruled by Scorpio and Pluto. Those with planets in the 8th house, she said, have a mythological phoenix-like quality and often have unexplained spiritual experiences, while angels are associated with the 12th house. During the last hour, she gave astrological readings for callers.
News segment guests: Lauren Weinstein, Steve Kates