On the brink: Sixth mass extinction

[Still Waters]

Earth may be on the brink of a sixth mass extinction on the scale of the apocalyptic event that wiped out the dinosaurs, a study claims.

The researchers say that unless action is taken now to reverse the harmful effects of human activity on eco-systems, a full-blown mass extinction could occur within a few centuries.

Recovery from such an event, which could eradicate more than three-quarters of all life on Earth, may then take millions of years.

Only five previous mass extinctions have occurred in the last 540million years.

Read more...

[Eldorado]

Jesus: "What d'ya think, dad?"

God: "Maybe we should start over again"

Jesus: "Mass extinction?"

God: "Works every time....lol"

[Ignus Fatuus]

Just grea!!!! Another bottleneck adventure maybe even in my lifetime. Oh well for you guys and girls ... If I can survive a month during the hottest month of the year here in the woods ... this country boy will do just fine!!! Sucks for ya city folks!!!

[Boe]

Jesus: "What d'ya think, dad?"

God: "Maybe we should start over again"

Jesus: "Mass extinction?"

God: "Works every time....lol"

LOOL!!

This time, let's give bipedalism and opposable thumbs to the platypus and see what happens!

Edited March 3, 2011 by Boe

[Dale Ray]

This is more BS trying to make us think that Man is in control of this world when We are not. These lies come right from those Who want You to believe that a carbon tax is needed right now to stop Humans from using up the eco-systems-If Humans stops having Kids and stops using oil and stop taking in less air-then We save the world. So to save the world is to get rid of Humans. Then Why are We Here? This world was giving to Us by God not by People who think they are Gods that know the true scientific ways of Our world these want to be Gods did not make this this world , God did. So if Someone thinks they know more that God and are out to save Us and Our world from Humans and anyone who thinks He has this understanding I say to You that Human/s has to be insane.

[d e v i c e]

We havnt been around long, but man what a party! Lol

[chechatonga]

Seems like we always lead ourselves into destruction. Honestly, we deserve it for thinking we can take full advantage of our earth and strip it of its resources and wildlife. We even have studies that warn us of what we are doing and we still can't change.

[Druidus-Logos]

Quite simply, it is a dire catastrophe. It has been for a long time, only much acknowledged recently. A complete tragedy.

I watch the world around me die

I shed a tear inside, a grief sealed

There is no pain expressed; a cry

Only silent agony, a pain kept veiled

Nature crumbles, once Pure Might

All we know, torn, in ruins, sundered

And still, despite our vision, we say "It's still alright!"

With denial we turned our heads, few pondered

Our curse, bared, is our own obsession

Deep inside, far below, not always seen by our "knowing" eyes

A drive, a need, a burning fire

To expand, to grow, and always to dominate

If we do not change, our fate is sealed, Earth will tire

And no longer will we live with any sense of the paradise

This paradise tragically, avoidably, lost to oblivion

And still, we will not stop, we dive headfirst to our own demise; will we never stop to ruminate?

Edited March 6, 2011 by Druidus-Logos

[morganharmony]

Humans are so stupid

[BlazzedAzz]

humans need to grow alot more

[Rhino666]

Nothing short of what we deserve and not soon enough.

[UFO_Monster]

Ugh...why do people become fearmongers?

[Druidus-Logos]

Ugh...why do people become fearmongers?

Fearmongering? The term used to refer to those who worry and think about the potential realities that, by data, are approaching?

If we're going to name-call I'd say you were an ignorant denialist. So, rather, what exactly are you attacking, idea-wise, specifically? We could have a real discussion rather than merely insultingly labeling each other for our ideas.

[UFO_Monster]

Fearmongering? The term used to refer to those who worry and think about the potential realities that, by data, are approaching?

If we're going to name-call I'd say you were an ignorant denialist. So, rather, what exactly are you attacking, idea-wise, specifically? We could have a real discussion rather than merely insultingly labeling each other for our ideas.

I was asking why people need to worry so much about the world potentially ending. Do you really think it's healthy to dwell upon that when people have their own lives to worry about?

[MoonBaby]

Hmmmm....

[Capt Snowflake]

I have never heard of anything like this ever before, really.

[Der Erste Ritter]

Frankly, I've always considered human beings to have been a biological, evolutionary, mistake anyway. It's been a good run, but it's pretty obvious that we simply don't, "fit" into the plan...at least, not for the long term. Whenever you have a life form that must destroy, in order to create; you are operating a continual deficit. We have met the enemy, and he, is us!

Edited March 7, 2011 by Der Erste Ritter

[Ronztrek]

We always get the fate we deserve... what's so wrong with that? Reality certainly isn't the problem. Apart from you and I, there is no problem.

[aquatus1]

Seems like we always lead ourselves into destruction.

When have we led ourselves to destruction before?

[aquatus1]

Personally, as fashionable as it is to refer to humans as the s purge of the Earth, the simple fact of the matter is that it is unlikely that there is any master plan, much less one that will be disrupted by our presence. Earth has gone through mas extinctions before, and it will do so again. We won't even be the first species responsible for a mass extinction.

But more importantly, people (mostly the younger crowd) have a tendency to focus only on the negative. Humans posses one quality unique to ourselves, and not present in any other animal on Earth. If I believed in such things, I would be tempted to think that our evolution was intentional, designed as a way to possibly break the cycle of natural extinction.

[ripperking]

Quite informative, but sill not going to change the fact that it is already tooooooo late! We as humans have already contributed greatly to the settings of "earth destroyed". If the intelligent part of our species decides to change, we still have the problem of trying to convince the ignorant of the work needed to be done. Trying to tell someone, whom only hears v12 6 litre, when they hear the word transport, that they need to think different and they going to call you a tree hugger. That's only one minute part of such a grand scale of effects that as humans, we didn't realise how intelligent yet dumb we really are! Bring back the hydro powered cars, use the sun for energy and stop wasting valuable water and top soil! As for overpopulation, we're screwed! Too many people think its ok to have a family of 5 or 6, we cant afford the people! Cull the masses!!!

[Druidus-Logos]

I was asking why people need to worry so much about the world potentially ending. Do you really think it's healthy to dwell upon that when people have their own lives to worry about?

Do you think that it's healthy to ignore certain potential, even probable, futures just because you'd rather be absorbed in other things? It's important to worry about things that can lead to catastrophe for our species, along with the rest of the biosphere. Yeah, it might be depressing, but ask yourself why that is. Because there was no one who could or would think of the consequences of what we've done, we've come to now. If we bury our heads in the sand because it's uncomfortable to deal with the realities we've forged, then we deserve extinction, and I can weep only for the collateral damage.

We don't have to dwell on this all of the time. But if we don't apply more than the modicum of thought to this problem that we've applied to historical problems, we will destroy ourselves for good. If we survive, miraculously, it will be in a deprived hell-hole of a world.

The point isn't to make people afraid; to scare people into a gloomy depression at the thought of our likely future, no, not at all. The point is to supply information that people can use to CHANGE this likely future. Nothing is set in stone; save the fact that if you don't check the engine in your car (Earth) when the engine light is on (all the warnings from the world around us), then your engine WILL fail.

Is it either healthy or logical to ignore even something so unimportant globally as your engine light simply because you have other things going on? It certainly is neither for an even more pressing concern, like our world being destroyed through our own denial and desire to have things remain the way they've always been. We can't do that, and if it is unhealthy to think and deal with such a problem, so be it. It's health to NOT go extinct; or, at the very least, devastate the biosphere. Ignoring the problem to focus on your own lives solely, selfishly, leads to horrible consequences for all life forms. We cannot afford such a travesty.

[Druidus-Logos]

Personally, as fashionable as it is to refer to humans as the s purge of the Earth, the simple fact of the matter is that it is unlikely that there is any master plan, much less one that will be disrupted by our presence. Earth has gone through mas extinctions before, and it will do so again. We won't even be the first species responsible for a mass extinction.

But more importantly, people (mostly the younger crowd) have a tendency to focus only on the negative. Humans posses one quality unique to ourselves, and not present in any other animal on Earth. If I believed in such things, I would be tempted to think that our evolution was intentional, designed as a way to possibly break the cycle of natural extinction.

Quite right, Aquatus. Though, being unique is not a claim to evolutionary intentionality. Elephants are pretty unique, with trunks, but not evolutionarily necessary.

I don't think it's fashionable to see us as a scourge of the Earth, myself. I see what you mean though, the people running around hating us all because of what we are. I think, though, that we do have to come to terms with the fact that we DO cause for more trouble for our planet than any 1000 species, or 10000, should have any right to cause, statistically.

I'm not focusing only on the negative. It's just that there is FAR more negative to focus on than positive right now. And I call for others to use that quality we have that other species don't to DO SOMETHING about it. If we reject that quality of thought for mere comfort and denial of reality, then, IMO, we had no real right to it in the first place.

We have to plan for the future. If the signs are all pointing to negative results, you can't just pretend they are positive, plan accordingly, and then hope for the best. No, you plan the best you can to deal with those negative results, we deal with reality. Anything else would be auto-apocalypse through hedonistic false-fantasy.

[DONTEATUS]

Maybe we are just now learning about the Ying,and Yang of our Universe ?

Like the forces that Pull on the Earth! Hawaii`s Volcanos ect The Sun going Wacko on us.

We ourselfs do more damage to our future and Planet than Anything. JUSTDONTEATUS

[danielost]

i brought this up once before. but those of you who dont believe in god and think humans are just part of nature. did you ever think that this is what nature wants us to do. it seems that nature cleans house every once in a while, maybe it is just time to clean house again. oh and 2/3rds of species dieing out isnt even close to what died when the dinos died out.