The Current Mass Extinction

[shrike]

Human beings are currently causing the greatest
mass extinction of species since the extinction of
the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. If present trends
continue one half of all species of life on earth will
be extinct in 100 years.
A majority of the nation's biologists are convinced that a "mass extinction" of plants and animals is underway that poses a major threat to humans in the next century, yet most Americans are only dimly aware of the problem, a poll says.
The rapid disappearance of species was ranked as one of the planet's gravest environmental worries, surpassing pollution, global warming and the thinning of the ozone layer, according to the survey of 400 scientists commissioned by New York's American Museum of Natural History.
"The speed at which species are being lost is much faster than any we've seen in the past -- including those [extinctions] related to meteor collisions," said Daniel Simberloff, a University of Tennessee ecologist and prominent expert in biological diversity who participated in the museum's survey. [Note: the last mass extinction caused by a meteor collision was that of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago.]
Most of his peers apparently agree. Nearly seven out of 10 of the biologists polled said they believed a "mass extinction" was underway, and an equal number predicted that up to one-fifth of all living species could disappear within 30 years. Nearly all attributed the losses to human activity, especially the destruction of plant and animal habitats.
http://www.well.com/user/davidu/extinction.html

[shrike]

As of late i have been researching the topic of paleobiology
the study of biological evolution over vast periods of time
the research as of late shows alarming trends in the rate
of extinctions of ecosystems and all creatures lviing within
these systems
anyone else see this trend ?

[Mezurashi]

I have researched mass extinctions and I can say that what is happening now is a cause for concern, but the whole doomsday thing is an effort to get media attention to generate more funds so some prof can buy himself a new blonde research assistant. I've seen it before and I'll keep calling it until I die (I used to work for Greenpeace until I saw the kind of stuff I talked about happening).

don't worry yourself - life is more resilient and humans are less significant than any 'scientist' will publically admit.

[nrj]

Sure, we humans are arrogant and burn this world just because we want luxeries. But I don't really know if we are killing the planet. Maybe speedning up the process, but not doing it directly.

[Jake99]

Shrike,

I have said this before, it is a pleasure to hear someone speak of the damage we as humans are creating. Many people just don't get it, this world is in serious trouble and it does not have a system that can repair the damage that we are creating. We need a system that provides the manpower that is needed to repair problems not start wars over who's fault it is. If we do not work together my young friend NRJ will have a very difficult life ahead of him.

[nrj]

I was 100% sure of you replying here, Jake. I must be psychic. I have said it in the Climate Change thread, and I say it again: I don't like the world at all. I will work to make it better. But I will not, under any sircumstances, give you my resources so you can change the planet. Fuck that, Jake. Fuck you're utopian dreams, cause they will never happen. You can dream, but that is the closest you can come.

[jjserio]

With respect for the AO community i have retracted part of this post

[nrj]

So we're screwing ourselves? Never thought that was the case.

[jjserio]

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[Jake99]

NRJ,

We are screwing the place up at a rate that has to stop on a dime and go in the other direction if we want to survive. You are too young to be responsible for what has happened but not too young to help change it. Radical change must take place and you have to unify under one simple system to do that. The complicated nature of our current systems is why we are at war with even our own. I know its hard to believe that you can get to Utopia from here but it really is not that far away with the technology that we have.

[nrj]

Haha, your so funny!

Of course i'm stating the obvious, but only after your remark of disbelief.

Negative comments don't contribute to AO threads and it seems thats all you know how to do.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING GOOD TO SAY, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL Actually, I agreed to you. It wasn't meant to be sarcastic. Not all of us 16 year olds are like DC. You're fact made me realise that we're destroying the planet. I should've thanked you, but I end up sounding immature. Sorry. Lets hope we can still debate on a mature level.

[nrj]

NRJ,

We are screwing the place up at a rate that has to stop on a dime and go in the other direction if we want to survive. You are too young to be responsible for what has happened but not too young to help change it. Radical change must take place and you have to unify under one simple system to do that. The complicated nature of our current systems is why we are at war with even our own. I know its hard to believe that you can get to Utopia from here but it really is not that far away with the technology that we have. Then do something about it then. I won't support a system the entire Earth hasn't agreed upon. This planet belongs to 6,45 billion people. We all have the right to say opinion, and to change the planet. I believe we humans are alone here (note the word believe) and no God is up there sending people to unite us. We have the right to decide the system ourselves. I don't wan't a guy who think he is chosen by God to unite the world, less take all of our resources. This would be a dictatorship, and I say fuck dictators.

[Jake99]

I don't want a divided planet I want a united one. And you don't give anything to me you give to each other. My services are free,I have everything that I need but the planet is being ruined by prideful and greedy people who would rather go to war than help their neighbor. Get simple is what I am talking about and this world is way too complex to manage properly. That is why so many brilliant people fail to achieve peace and prosperity. The problems that we have today will magnify with increased population and we have never been able to manage the planet properly. If you don't change the operating system it will just get worse.

[Doomer]

Butting heads with human nature is one step beyond pissing in the wind. What will be will be.

[LC Jeffries]

Here's some related news.

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3690553

http://tampatrib.com/floridametronews/MGBGJPFI8CE.html

[Wednesday]

a couple more links

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1124470826012_84/?hub=Canada

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0819-05.htm

[Milinea Shade]

I'm not so good at this posting crap, but here I go.....

There has been life on this planet almost from the very begining, there will continue to be life on this planet til the end (and by end, I mean til there is no planet). I believe it is a mistake to think that humans are the be all end all of life here.

Volcanoes spew more greenhouse gasses and toxins into the atmosphere in a single eruption than we have in our whole history, so while I don't believe we are doing the planet any favors with our industrialization, I don't think we are the force we think ourselves to be. Humans are arrogant and egotistical and we feel we have much, much more power than we actually do.

The earth has also had a history of a fluctuation weather cycle, sometimes it's warmer, sometimes it's cooler, that's just the way the earth is.

Fact is, there have been mass extinctions in the past and there will be more in the future, again that just seems to be the way the earth works, weather or not humans will survive is anybodys guess. But life will survive in some manner as it always has in the past. We live on a remarkable and enduring living ecosystem. We just think we're indispensible and we're not.

[Jake99]

I have always been an "I can" person so telling me about what cannot be done is nothing more than a challenge to prove that to be wrong. We can make this a much better place and we can deal with nature and mans destructive forces in a way that is humane and efficient.

Nrj, I am the wildest of wild ideas person that I know of, sometimes you must explore to find the possibilities when stepping outside the box. I look at every perspective not just the ones that are popular. In fact what is popular is usually what I stay away from. DMoney brings up many good points, I simply offer a possible solution to some of them.

[nrj]

I have always been an "I can" person so telling me about what cannot be done is nothing more than a challenge to prove that to be wrong. Jump 900 feet straight up into the air. No help.
We can make this a much better place and we can deal with nature and mans destructive forces in a way that is humane and efficient. Jake, we cannot enslave nature. Nature always own our ass, and unless you nuke us back to the stoneage and build artificial forests and lakes, then nature will always make the rules.


Nrj, I am the wildest of wild ideas Agreed.
sometimes you must explore to find the possibilities when stepping outside the box. Agreed again. And this has to do with giving all the Earths resources to you're work force... how?
I look at every perspective not just the ones that are popular. In fact what is popular is usually what I stay away from. DMoney brings up many good points, I simply offer a possible solution to some of them. Jake, you are giving me a headache... Some of you're sulotions are good, yes, but some of them are also full off shit and have no true basis. You are describing total socialism, and I live in a socialism. I know how fucked up it is.

[Wednesday]

I'm pretty sure that humanity is going to be extinguished at some point. I don't believe that we should keep pumping poison into the planet simply because we are 'insignificant'.

The fact is, we have done serious damage already to the ecosystem that supports OUR life. We will be part of the next mass extinction.

The Earth itself is a giant ball of iron. It will be around for a while.

[stewey]

I have researched mass extinctions and I can say that what is happening now is a cause for concern, but the whole doomsday thing is an effort to get media attention to generate more funds so some prof can buy himself a new blonde research assistant. I've seen it before and I'll keep calling it until I die (I used to work for Greenpeace until I saw the kind of stuff I talked about happening).

don't worry yourself - life is more resilient and humans are less significant than any 'scientist' will publically admit.

Well said.