What is the fate of man given the accelerating rate of extinctions and destruction of the natural world?

Question

Over population and habitat destruction is responsible for the greatest mass extinction of plant and animal life in 67 million years. The emminent biologist, Edward O. Wilson, predicts the extinction of 50 to 75% of all species alive today by the end of this century. The variability is due to the severity of global warming, and man's desire and ability to confront this disaster in the making.

Answer 1

The activities of mankind bear no comparison to the event of 67 million years ago. According to the fossil record and models of that event the whole of North America and much of the world was "flash burned". There was so much ash in the air that the sun could not have been seen for DECADES. For centuries afterward, there was hardly any pollen from plants in the air, as measured in sedements. The planet was nearly dead.

Humanity is unlikely to do anything in the near future that can even come remotely close.

Even since the 67 MYA event, there have been dozens of mass extinctions that are greater than those caused so far by man.

Willson is an alamist, and while there may be many extinctions 50% of the species becoming extinct is not at all likely.

Finally when looking at past extinction events and those caused by man we are looking at two entirely different types of information. For modern extinctions we know when rare animals become extinct, and animals that are only found on isolated areas. In past extinction events we only rely on fossil records. For such records we can only count VERY common organisms because getting fossilized and having that fossil found and identified is a unusual occasion. Many of the traits that make a species may not be fossilized, for example birds that are classed as different species based on thier feather colors may be seen as the same species when looking at only the fossil bones. For that reason we only know of a few thousand different species that occured at the time of 67 million years ago, but over a billion species today.

It is unlikely in my opinion that humanity will cause more than even 2% of the worlds curent species to become extinct in the next 94 years. Even if we tried very hard at intentional eradication of nature I seriously doubt we could kill off 75% of the species.

Humanity will survive. Even with global warming the changes in the species count will not change as bad as the predictions of the alarmist. The prediction of global warming is 1.4 to 5.8 degrees C change on average in 100 years. In the last ice age of 50,000 years ago the world was on average 6-8C colder than today.

While the end of the ice age caused many extinctions, the global temp change caused by human caused global warming is not likely to cause a whole lot more, as the worst case change due to human activity is smaller than what happened naturally just a short geological time ago.

Answer 2

The problem with predictions like this is they are not actually based on any hard facts. They are based on estimates and projections. There is virtually no fossil evidence, and no documented records of how many species existed 100 years ago or 10,000 years ago. There is nothing but numbers with no basis.

There are a billion forms of insect life covering the planet, the expert is saying in the next 94 years 750,000,000 species of insects will disappear? Leavening only 250,000,000 species of insects? What actual physical proof is there?

There have been extinctions since the beginning of time. Every time one species died another took its place. Natural disasters such as volcanic activity and impacts of space borne projectiles have been purging the planet on a regular basis.

This is a living planet, things are not stagnant, the very environment changes constantly, the face of the planet morphs from one year to the next, and the same is true for the life that inhabits it. It has little to do with man's involvement; it will continue to occur long after human life has shuffled off this mortal coil.

67 million years ago one of the most cataclysmic events happened to all life on this planet, and yet remarkably life continued... Wait Life continued despite the fact almost all life was wiped out? The planet survived? Life survived?

Stop panicking and stop screaming "the sky is falling"

The fact is Life will go on. New species will take over for the old ones, and in 67 million years from now some one else will be screaming "the sky is falling the sky is falling."

About your "expert", have you ever read his theories on human development? I believe you will find in most scientific circles his theories are generally labeled as being racist, sexist and in support of Eugenics.

Now I am not saying you are wrong to be concerned the environment (pollution and overpopulation), I am simply saying there are far more pressing matter than trying to stop the natural flow of existence.

Answer 3

The fate -- no forget that word -- the future of humanity will eventually lead to a several splits. People will continue to exist, as we know them, although perhaps in less abundance. Advances in genetics will lead to new diversifications leading away from past evolution into entirely new directions. There will be advances in artificial intelligence resulting in a diverse variety of non-biological intelligent beings. As you know, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

Answer 4

We're all going to blow ourselves up with nukes. For serious. Soon every country will have nukes, and as soon as one of us gets mad at another country, it's curtains.

Answer 5

We're doomed I say, DOOOOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!