Earth is Experiencing the Onset of Its Sixth Mass Extinction
- NPG
- February 14, 2022
- NPG Commentary
- 1 Comment
February 15, 2022
Human Activity has Prompted Earth’s Sixth Mass Extinction
Recent findings further indicate what environmental activists and scientists have been saying for years: the earth is experiencing the beginning stages of its sixth mass extinction. Focusing heavily on the decline of invertebrate creatures, lead author Robert Cowie of the University of Manoa and his team argue that the data confirms their hypothesis that earth’s 6th mass extinction has already started.
The Natural History Museum (UK) defines mass extinction as when “species vanish much faster than they are replaced. This is usually defined as about 75% of the world’s species being lost in a ‘short’ amount of geological time – less than 2.8 million years.” Previously, mass extinctions have been caused by either extreme weather conditions or an extreme catastrophic event, such as wildly fluctuating temperatures or a volcanic eruption. What is distinct about the onset of this 6th mass extinction is that neither temperature pattern nor catastrophic event is to blame. When looking for a reason – research “shows humans are the cause of these changes. Since the Industrial Revolution, we have been putting pressure on nature by using its resources without supporting recovery.”
In an article published by Natural History Museum, curator Katie Collins shares examples of human activity that has strained the earth, noting the variety of circumstances that have led to this moment in history. At the top of the list for most egregious acts towards the planet:
- Humans have already transformed over 70% of land surfaces and use about three-quarters of freshwater resources.
- Agriculture is the leading cause of soil degradation, deforestation, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
- Invasive species introduced by humans.
As for solutions – Collins urges readers to widen their scope beyond individual actions to include holding policymakers and businesses accountable for their role in the degradation of our planet. NPG agrees that humans have behaved recklessly throughout history at the behest of growth and enterprise. And that is why NPG believes we should all work together to slow, halt, and eventually reverse population growth to allow everyone to focus on a less destructive, more sustainable outlook for future generations. We must include the provision that individuals can also help guide the planet towards sustainability by keeping their family size at replacement level and lowering their overall consumption.
In a recent addition to NPG’s Forum paper series, Dr. Karen Shragg speaks of the sixth mass extinction in connection with the human population, noting: “The previous extinctions were caused by catastrophic climatic and atmospheric events. Now the blame can be laid at the feet of humans, not only due to our fossil fuel consumption habits but also by our sheer, overwhelming numbers.” Shragg bolsters her argument by showcasing the undesirable consequences of growth, sharing: “Growth of the entire human enterprise is behind the decline of the natural world. Our fossil fuel-based global economies are structured so that they must grow or die, so they do, eating up the natural capital of water, minerals, wood, etc., along the way. We have created a human-dominated planet to the point where there are now more people living in the US than were living on the entire planet back in the day when Christianity first began.”
To read Dr. Karen Shragg’s paper, please click here.
To read more about population related issues, please click here.
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This can’t be a surprise to anyone. As the earths resources are used to feed, house, transport, clothe, entertain, employ, etc the additional net 80 million humans born each year, in addition to the nearly 8 billion here now, there will be, by necessity, fewer resources available for almost every other species. It’s amazing that the first billion humans took all of history to get here in 1750. We now add another billion every ~12 years. Yet if you listen to sources like the NYTs you’d think we were headed into a demographic crises of fewer people. It’s that kind of illogical, fact ignoring thinking that makes me believe we have very little chance of slowing down this tidal wave, much less reversing it.