The human being and the "Sixth Mass Extinction" theory.

The Waxwing

Jun 12th, 2023

Photo by Maël BALLAND

It is estimated that the age of our planet is around 4,540 million years, however, it is estimated that life arose sometime later, 3,500 million years ago. Throughout time, the earth has been home to countless species of invertebrates, plants, fungi, insects, fish, mammals, and an endless number of other organisms, and although it may seem incredible, some paleobiologists such as David Raup estimate that it is possible that they have been up to 50 billion different species. At present we believe that there are around 8.7 million species; If we compare this figure with Raup's calculations, we could say that current living beings represent less than 0.1% of all species that have lived on Earth; this means that more than 99.9% of all the species that ever lived are already extinct.

A large part of the species that have disappeared met their end in the so-called mass extinctions, events in which a large percentage of biodiversity finds extinction in a relatively short period. As far as we know, five mass extinction events have occurred on Earth, the most popular being the extinction of the dinosaurs, a phenomenon that took place 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period, due to an asteroid of only 10 kilometers in diameter that impacted the Yucatan Peninsula, unleashing a series of geological and climatic events that ended 75% of life on Earth at that time. Nowadays, a sector of the scientific community has theorized, and with plenty of evidence, that a new mass extinction is taking place at this precise moment, but not by a meteorite, but by humans, who are encouraging it through the destruction of ecosystems, air pollution and the indiscriminate use of natural resources. This new phenomenon is known as the sixth mass extinction.

Since the 16th century, more than 680 vertebrate species have become extinct due to human activities. Currently, human activity has accelerated the rate of extinction speed, being up to 10,000 times higher than that caused naturally. The United Nations Sustainable Development Report 2023 provides alarming data: today, 1 million species of flora and fauna are in danger of extinction, and the average abundance of native species in the main habitats of our planet has been reduced by at least one 20% since 1900; more than a third of aquatic mammals, as well as 33% of corals and 40% of the amphibian fauna, are critically endangered.

This rapid disappearance of organisms leaves a hole in the cycles of ecosystems, to the point where many species essential for human survival, such as bees, tuna, plankton, and other animal and plant organisms, are seriously threatened or at high risk of facing total extinction. Forest fires, animal trafficking, water waste, as well as unsustainable livestock are just some of the causes that negatively affect nature and therefore human beings, who depend directly on the health of planet Earth and the species with which we coexist.

However, while some of the current damage is irreversible, there are still countless actions to save our beloved planet. If you are interested in knowing how you can contribute, I recommend you visit the following link: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ocean/earthday.html

#nature #forestfire #extinction #wildlife #wildlifedeclining