Humans are causing mass extinction at a rate not seen since the last major extinction event

[marmar]

(Salon) Roughly 66 million years ago, an asteroid or comet struck the planet and wiped out three-quarters of every animal and plant species alive. Known as the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event (K–Pg), it has been immortalized in popular culture because of its association with the end of the dinosaurs' reign on Earth.

That is why scientists are hopeful that a new study regarding the rate of extinction nowadays may hammer home the urgency of our pollution problems. In an international study led by the Justus Liebig University Giessen that included geologists, paleontologists, evolutionary biologists and many others, researchers found that in some cases, man-made factors are causing an extinction rate that surpasses that of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.

The study, which was published last month in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, closely analyzed past extinction rates for freshwater animals and plants, then used that information to extrapolate likely future extinction rates. They discovered that the average predicated rate for freshwater animals and plants today is three orders of magnitude higher than it was during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. If current trends continue unabated, one-third of all freshwater species alive today may be forever gone by 2120.

If that happens, we can expect that the damage to our freshwater ecosystem — which, inevitably, has an impact on ecosystems everywhere else on the planet — will be effectively permanent.

"Our results indicate that, unless substantial conservation effort is directed to freshwater ecosystems, the present extinction crisis will have a severe impact to freshwater biota for millions of years to come," the authors write. ...........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/06/01/humans-destroying-life-on-earth-faster-than-the-extinction-event-that-killed-off-dinosaurs/

[roamer65]

1. I have a small vial of KT boundary layer material.

Dark round glass like pellets. Could even be some carbonized dinosaur in them.

Humans are well on their way to GHG levels not seen since that asteroid hit earth 66 mya.

[Irish_Dem]

2. I wonder how many times humans have done this to themselves.

The Earth is 4.5 billion years old. Gives humans a lot of time to keep screwing themselves over.

[dugog55]

3. It is not a "mass extinction", it is a mass extermination

Humans know full well what we are doing and just do not give a damn. If there is money to be made, nothing will stand in the way. Americans in particular have become extremely short sighted in the quest of fame and fortune. It is not how is this going to affect the country/world five, ten or twenty years down the road, but what can I get out of it right now.

We have been kicking the Climate Change can and environmental protection can down the road for decades. We made some progress in the 1960's, but the corporate revolution in the 1980's put a stop to everything but making money.

[SheltieLover]

4. Lack of respect for Nature!

[SoCalDavidS]

5. Can We Start With Ourselves?

Humans don't deserve to exist on this planet.

We will Kill everything in our path if we're allowed to exist much longer.

[Dial H For Hero]

6. How do you propose accomplishing this?

Just curious.

[Calculating]

11. You first

Lol

[PETRUS]

7. People saw this coming a long time ago.

Karl Polanyi wrote this around 1940:

"...the idea of a self-adjusting market implied a stark utopia. Such an institution could not exist for any length of time without annihilating the human and natural substance of society."

[Ron Green]

8. Ha! Just try to get people to embrace economic de-growth.

Even here on the “Democratic Underground.” If Biden can whip up growth numbers, he’s doing the right thing.

We are truly on the wrong path on this planet.

[PETRUS]

9. I've brought up degrowth here on DU several times.

It provokes very little conversation, sadly.

[Ron Green]

10. Threads such as this one, focused on the most important topic available for discussion,

dwindle while the latest political horseshit on TV garners a surfeit of activity.

[PETRUS]

13. Yeah, that's the pattern.

I can think of any number of reasons why, and they're not all unflattering or anything. All the same, I wish people were more engaged. With respect to ecological overshoot, where we are and where we're headed is alarming and terrifying. it appears to me that we need to change nearly everything - perhaps especially the growth paradigm - and few people seem to show interest in that conversation, let alone agree.

[Mysterian]

12. The human species is destroying the only known biosphere in the universe

We are the most stupid and destructive form of life imaginable.

It's a shame we are taking so many wonderful species with us. Perhaps they might have evolved into a species that respected our natural home and did not overpopulate the planet to its doom.