The world
has been through five major extinctions: Ordovician, Devonian, Permian, Triassic/Jurassic,
and the Cretaceous. I won’t go into the
evolutionary progression at the end of each period; but each extinction has
been the results of climate changes, volcanic eruptions or asteroid/meteor
impacts.
These extinction
periods happened gradually due to circumstances that kicked off changes, that
became self-sustaining and progressed over a time line of from twenty-five to
two hundred million years - resulting in a drastic restructuring of life on
this planet.
The sixth
extinction is not going to be caused by a natural phenomenon, but as the result
of a destructive life form with the ability to bring about rapid atmospheric,
oceanic and climate change.
Animal, bird
and insect species are going extinct at an alarming rate due to the destruction
of rain forest.
Most African large
animals are endangered due to poaching and decrease of natural habitat.
 |
| Trump sons |
There is over fishing in the oceans and whale
populations are barely surviving.
Carbon
dioxide emissions from cars, power plants and animal populations are increasing
the surface temperatures resulting in glacial melt, which results in exposing
long frozen tundra which releases methane and carbon dioxide – that self-perpetuating
system that could eventually sustain its own change.
The human population is increasing at an
almost exponential rate resulting in more consumption, more waste products and
more habitat expansion; with famine and water shortages predicted in the foreseeable
future.
Chemical
pollutants are in every phase of our water and food supply: the breast milk of Greenland
Inuit women, that depend on whale and seal fat in their diet, is so polluted
that it would be classified hazardous by the EPA.
Now on top
of that, mankind has the ability of mass destruction with nuclear weapons.
We are not a dependable creature to have
such power. Up until now, men with some
degree of restrain have has control of these weapons; but it only takes one
fanatical religious group or one or two unstable individuals with launch codes
to bring about almost immediate world destruction – Kim Jong-um… Donald Trump?
We are in
the process of the sixth extinction – and it will not take millions of
years.
What can we
do about this?
Judging by
the history of mankind I would say enjoy yourself while you can, because eventually
mankind will have to bend over and kiss its own ass good-by.
Have a good
day
the Ol’Buzzard
You cheerful sonovabitch! However, I do agree with you.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is there's always a restart - new species will appear (or present ones will rise to supremacy*). If any of the old ones left are human they'll likely find banging rocks together is the highest tech they can manage.
ReplyDelete* My bet is corvids :)
I would argue that this extinction is as natural as the others. Humans are a result of a natural process, are we not? And we are doing the human equivalent of drosophila in a glass jar. We multiply until we run out of room and resources and them we all die. We will likely take everything else with us unless it is a disease that kills us. (Keep an eye on SE Asia). The earth will survive and as another commenter pointed out, it will look nothing like it does now and new species will appear and populate it.
ReplyDelete