To ask a question about why climate change?

[Takebackfrown]

I know that I'm going to be shot down in flames for this, because the answer must be obvious, but why exactly is climate change a bad thing for the planet? I don't want to ask anyone in real life because I suspect I'll be mocked.

I understand that the ice caps are melting, and that that will lead to the extinction of the human race. I know that the poorest will suffer first. I know that this is horrendous for all of the humans who will see the end of humankind.

But, that won't hurt the planet, will it? Surely the end of the human race will be good for the planet, and it's ecological systems? In David Attenborough's dynasties, the tigers were dying because of humans commandeering their land. Surely if humans weren't here the planet itself would be just fine, actually better? Is everyone just protesting about the human race going extinct rather than the planet coming to harm?

Mmmm. I'd go with yes and no. Yes, if climate change ends civilisation and wipes out humanity, or at least reduces it to manageable levels, then the planet will breathe a massive sigh of relief. But the destruction of habitats that it would entail would probably lead to mass extinctions (and a much worse rate than currently), so it wouldn't just be humanity that was lost.

Is everyone just protesting about the human race going extinct rather than the planet coming to harm?

Yes, it's intended to be a light-hearted interlude between Brexit updates.

It’s population, stop breeding. You really are not that special that the world needs a replace for you. Limit to one is needed.

Yes the planet will still exist, humans may not.

But also maybe humans will survive, but they might live in a constricted area...

YANBU OP.

Is everyone just protesting about the human race going extinct rather than the planet coming to harm?
I think if it was put into these terms, more would be done. Saving the planet is a bit woolly and abstract and open to much interpretation. Saving us from extinction is a lot more definite.

The ball of elements with a core of molten iron will continue to exist. However, climate change will destroy the planet (and already is) because other animals and plants and microfauna etc live here, too.

'What type of plants can live where' is dependent on temperature (that's why the north of Scotland has different trees to Yorkshire) and as the temperature rises, entire ecosystems (plants and animals dependent on each other for survival) will become extinct because they can't just mass-migrate because there's too much human interference on the planet compared to the mass-migration events of the past. David Attenborough's more recent documentaries explain some of the issues facing the rest of the planet.
The "Extinction" movement is primarily self-centered because humans tend to only take action en-masse when they're directly going to be harmed by something, however, averting climate change is in the interests of most of the current life on the planet, not just humans.

The problem is that we are taking so many species with us.

But yes, the world will carry on and no one will care that it is full of cockroaches and bedbugs but not tigers and polar bears, because we are the only animals that rate animals' worth on what they look like.