Nothing lasts forever.
While we know this to be true, it hits home after we actually realizing something is gradually fading from existence.
Oftentimes, however, we realize the things we took for granted have already slipped away from our grasp.
"What is slowly dying off or disappearing?"
Habitat loss and poaching sadly contributes to these rapidly decreasing species.
Terrestrial Residents
"Amphibians. It's a worldwide phenomenon."
"[Due to] Habitat fragmentation, pollution, decrease in mosquito populations, drought & climate change, pesticides, chrytid fungi...take your pick."
Too Much Poaching
"Giraffes - they've become an endangered species."
– nyle2
"I was looking for this comment. I work with two giraffes: a Masai giraffe & a Reticulated giraffe. Both subspecies are endangered. I love them so much, & it's so sad seeing what's happening."
"They have unique personalities and are generally fun animals to be with. They never fail to make me laugh and/or smile when I'm working with them. I really hope I don't end up in a world without them, or where they're extinct in the wild."
– andret14
Winged Points Of Light
"Fireflies."
"They mostly rely on the bioluminescence of their fellow species in order to attract for mating. However, due to increasing urbanization which is also increasing use of artificial lighting (street lamps), their presence are dwindling."
Our slowly changing environment is slowly taking a toll on our existence.
A "Necessary Nutrient"
"Iodine in Salt. Seriously, go to the grocery store and see how many brands of salt show 'this salt does not provide Iodine, a necessary nutrient.'"
The Importance Of Iodine
"Northeast Ohio here, I had to explain to my kids what iodine was and why we need it, and then I showed them old times pictures of goiters. It was a good day."
Submerged Wonderland
"Coral reefs."
"This is a huge problem and this comment needs to be higher. I went snorkeling 5 years ago and the coral was abundant with life. Went back 2 years later (3 years ago) and it was like half dead. This was in Puerto Rico."
– funkyyo
Upon reflection of their daily lives, these Redditors were disappointed after noticing the following have begun to fade from reality.
Alone Time
"Privacy."
"It's funny that there are so much laws n sh*t that say they 'value' our privacy while in reality some sh*t ass Facebook will still steal your data even though that's against your privacy."
Vanishing Perk
"Free parking. Even the smaller suburbs in their town center started charging for parking."
– mbbzzz
Dying Tradition
"Family Reunions."
"I was born in '83 and I can remember going to one every year for both sides of my pop's family and just one side of my mom's."
"It's definitely a dying tradition since now you can keep up with everyone online."
A Favorite Pasttime
"Arcades, but more specifically, arcade games. Now in arcades it's just rigged claw games which only drops a plush if you put enough money in, sad to see really."
The passionate audiophile in me has been grieving for a while now over vanishing media.
Vinyl albums are retro and cool, which is why they made a comeback to satiate a niche audience.
But when CDs have slowly disappeared from the aisles at Best Buy and Target, I was a little sad.
The amateur listener wouldn't be able to distinguish between the sound quality of streamed music compared to the rich, full sound from a good CD sound system, and that's fine.
For me, it's a bummer because I can tell the difference, and I miss the tangible paraphernalia that comes along with a packaged CD.
Cue the violins, I suppose.
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'Half Of The World's Coffee Is In Danger Of Going Extinct According To Climate Study
It seems climate change could claim another victim: coffee.
Brace yourselves, folks. You might want to hold on to your cup of joe for as long as you can.
Researchers at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in the UK studied endangered coffee species using the latest computer modeling techniques and found that 60% of wild coffee species are on the brink of extinction due to deforestation, droughts, and plant diseases, according to AFP.
Lead researcher, Aaron P. Davis, told CNN about the threat of a perpetually warming planet having adverse effects on the growth of coffee.
"The important thing to remember is that coffee requires a forest habitat for its survival."
"With so much deforestation going on around the world, wild coffee species are being impacted at an alarming rate."
"Considering threats from human encroachment and deforestation, some (coffee species) could be extinct in 10 to 20 years, particularly with the added influence of climate change,"
People are getting justifiably cranky.
The study published in Science Advances indicated that researchers analyzed 124 species, mostly abundant in tropical Africa, the Indian Ocean islands—which include Madagascar, Comoros Islands, and Mascarene Islands—Asia and Australia and found that 75 species are at risk of extinction, including "13 being critically endangered, 40 endangered, and 22 vulnerable species."
Arabica and Robusta are two of the species made for global consumption, both of which were categorized as endangered.
Unless governments and commercial producers implement ways to protect coffee species, consumers will be paying a lot more for their morning fix.
Now coffee drinkers are caring about the environment more than before.
The Kew researchers accessed climate data from Ethiopia in the last 40 years to determine the rate at which deforestation and warming temperatures were destroying the ecosystem.
They discovered that nearly a third of wild Arabica species were grown outside of conservation areas, making them more vulnerable for decimation.
Davis assured there is no immediate threat, but he did warn about the bleak future of coffee farming.
"As a coffee drinker you don't need to worry in the short term. What we are saying is that in the long term if we don't act now to preserve those key resources we don't have a very bright future for coffee farming."
The team also expressed concern for the livelihood of coffee farmers in Ethiopia, many of whom are forced to relocate because of climate change.
Davis suggested that wholesalers should pay the farmers a "fair price" so they can invest and improve upon their methods to secure the future of production.
But that would also require governments to regenerate forests to ensure the future of coffee farming.
According to E-Imports, 150 million Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee every day. The thought of that many people suddenly on coffee withdrawal because of climate change is a huge wake up call.