To ask if you realise we are going through a sixth mass extinction of species?

[amandacarnet]

There have been five mass extinctions of life before. The most famous of which wiped out the dinosaurs. With the rate of extinction of species it is clear we are currently going through a sixth mass extinction. This is caused by climate change and human wrecking of animal habitats. And it will if not halted, lead to the extinction of humans.
It is not going to happen over night, this is not a made for TV disaster movie. But as we ruin more animal habitats and climate change gets worse, we will make living environments for humans worse. In Avery short space of time we have seen decreasing world wide fertility thought to be caused by plastics, much more frequent occurrences of dangerous weather, rising sea levels that are reclaiming land from humans, and decreasing levels of animals that are needed for human survival such as bees.

Why is it a bad thing for humans to become extinct? I genuinely don't understand the obsession with this not happening.

To paraphrase a senior Labour politician "Young people make the best grass roots support because they know bigger all about life and lack bullshit detectors"

The planet will look after itself. You said it yourself, this is about looking after the human race. And I'm not so sure we deserve it...

And I've no idea what Extinction Rebellion think they're achieving as they're alienating the masses. Stop going after the end user - it's not about me recycling it's about the manufacturers and producers changing what they do.

And, ultimately in my view, it's all too little too late thanks to the arrogance of humankind.

I think we need to be a little bit careful with the comparisons here.

Major mass extinctions in the past have wiped out most species of life on earth. The Permian-Triassic extinction (252 million years ago) caused 96% of marine species to go extinct.

This is not going to happen under any current projections for climate change.

There is a 100 thousand year climate cycle from glacial to warmer conditions. Over the past million years several of these warmer periods have been between 2-3 degrees warmer, which is exactly where current projections have the earth's climate moving to. These warmer periods did not have mass extinctions associated with them.

This will have a significant impact on life. But it is nowhere near the scale of the major mass extinctions in the past. Nowhere near.

Hunting by humans has, over the past hundred thousand years caused many species to go extinct. Land use changes will cause more. Warming some more again. But comparison with mass extinctions is frankly ridiculous.

The best thing that could happen to the planet is for us to become extinct. The planet itself will be fine and alternative life will evolve in time.

I don't fancy being around for the process, but in all, I do think that as a species, we are a particularly nasty disease and attempts to preserve or save it for other humans is fundamentally selfish.

Why is it a bad thing for humans to become extinct? I genuinely don't understand the obsession with this not happening

It's not a bad thing, we need wiping out. We're just a virus that's got too big for its boots.

Humans just need to stop reproducing and let the species die out now. It's had it's day.

At least if we died out we would stop our littering.

Did you see the photos of Hyde Park after the protestors left!? Awful.

Humans will be wiped out one day but I doubt it will be in the next few thousand years so I think we’re ok for now.

Purple flower, then you haven't read the scientific evidence

It's not just about the human race though, it's about extinction of other species that we are causing/fucking speeding up. This "oh well, everything will die, something will remain and the Earth will carry on" mentality seems very flippant. Like we don't need to bother about the environment or anything in it because if everything becomes extinct the world won't end?

@Abra1de that was fake. It was from a completely different unauthorised gathering. Nothing to do with Extinction Rebellion who cleaned up after themselves. Go check out the Hyde Park twitter feed who have debunked it.

It's terrible, I can't understand why no one is taking any notice except for getting angry at extinction rebellion. The human race will die out and that will not be a bad thing for the planet but we are taking so many other species out with us and causing such terrible suffering along the way

There is nothing the Uk can do to offset the damage countries like China cause.

What’s the point in preaching to us little people?

I do my bit. I recycle, my carbon footprint is extremely small, but none of that will make a difference.

I have realised this and been aware of it for many years, though not usually described as such.

PeoplesFrontOfJudith

I am so pleased and relieved to hear this!

I do find it bizarre on a site where presumably the vast majority have kids, people can look at their children and just shrug their shoulders and say ah feck it you deserve to die out
I do wonder if it rather than looking at long term ecological destruction their should be more focus on the fact that climate change is in the near future going to cause mass migration to escape drought and famine on a large scale- and the associated wars that will cause.

I do find it bizarre on a site where presumably the vast majority have kids, people can look at their children and just shrug their shoulders and say ah feck it you deserve to die out

Well we are all dying. If we can't save the plant then at least we can stop reproducing. What's the point of creating more humans to live in misery.

The dismissal of this post and selfishness of this generation makes me sick.

During the dark nights of winter just gone I scared myself silly reading up on this subject.

Geez, some of the videos on youtube by climatologists do actually say that within the next decade the human race will suffer catastrophically due to climate change - and worse, some say its too late for it to be now reversed.

Try watching the documentary on fashion (Netflix) the utter destruction by the fashion industry is unbelievable. The true cost of cheap Primark stuff and their ilk has caused insurmountable destruction to this planet.

Go watch it now.

I absolutely agree that something needs to change, but realistically, what’s the solution?
Yes, stopping a load of stuff now would probably help to slow down the process, but we surely can’t reverse anything? It’ll all just happen in a larger time frame.
I did have a laugh when DN came up with the idea of putting the N&S poles inside giant freezers to help keep them frozen.

Primark should be made to pay an extra environmental tax.

I don't think humans will die out - we are an extremely adaptable species

That's probably correct, but many many millions will die, as usual the poorest in society will take the brunt of it.

But comparison with mass extinctions is frankly ridiculous.

Although extinction is a natural phenomenon, it occurs at a natural “background” rate of about one to five species per year. Scientists estimate we're now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the background rate, with literally dozens going extinct every day.

www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_crisis/

Primark should be made to pay an extra environmental tax. why primark?