Sixth mass extinction in planetary history. We’re wiping mega-fauna and floral colonies off the map faster than at any time since the dinosaurs went extinct.
No, what we’re killing is ourselves.
Of all the life forms that have a chance of surviving climate apocalypse, humans are better positioned than most.
We survived the Ice Age with far less. If 99% of the human population was wiped out tomorrow, there would still be more of us than during the era of Alexander the Great.
The loss would be in biodiversity. A great deal of what makes living on Earth pleasant would be gone.
“Since the dinosaurs” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. I wasn’t exclusively talking about the period after the dinosaurs as that’s a rather arbitrary to limit the argument to.
Earth has experienced at least two major extinctions where most life just ceased to exist. Both times due to massive climate events.
The previous glacial period does not compare to what global warming will cause. And we’ve had plenty of huntable food sources back then.
Biodiversity is the one key factor that determines if Humanity will survive at all. We like to think that we don’t need biodiversity to survive like every other lifeform on Earth, but it is essential to our survival.
If biodiversity goes, Earth cannot sustain any population of humans.
Sixth mass extinction in planetary history. We’re wiping mega-fauna and floral colonies off the map faster than at any time since the dinosaurs went extinct.
Of all the life forms that have a chance of surviving climate apocalypse, humans are better positioned than most.
We survived the Ice Age with far less. If 99% of the human population was wiped out tomorrow, there would still be more of us than during the era of Alexander the Great.
The loss would be in biodiversity. A great deal of what makes living on Earth pleasant would be gone.
Great post - I actually feel ever so slightly less pessimistic about the future… not joking. Perspective is a powerful thing.
“Since the dinosaurs” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. I wasn’t exclusively talking about the period after the dinosaurs as that’s a rather arbitrary to limit the argument to.
Earth has experienced at least two major extinctions where most life just ceased to exist. Both times due to massive climate events.
The previous glacial period does not compare to what global warming will cause. And we’ve had plenty of huntable food sources back then.
Biodiversity is the one key factor that determines if Humanity will survive at all. We like to think that we don’t need biodiversity to survive like every other lifeform on Earth, but it is essential to our survival.
If biodiversity goes, Earth cannot sustain any population of humans.