Anthropocene | The Sixth Mass Extinction
Caused by Humans
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Definition of Anthropocene
(This subject warrants a page to itself)
Definition of Anthropocene
(This subject warrants a page to itself)
Anthropocene (An·thro·po·cene)
adjective
relating to or denoting the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.
noun
The current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. Unlike previous extinction events caused by natural phenomena, the sixth mass extinction is driven by human activity, primarily (though not limited to) the unsustainable use of land, water and energy use, and climate change.
Note: Sections taken in part from Dictionary.com, Wikipedia and World Wildlife.
Endangered Wildlife in Florida | At Home
As of the writing of this information all amphibians are endangered. There were once over 360 species of turtles, as of 2024,161 of them are endangered. Over the last century, 200 terrestrial vertebrate species have gone extinct (some reports say upwards of 500.) Under normal conditions, 200 extinctions would take over ten thousand years to disappear. Since the year 1500 scientists have counted over 800 animal species as having gone extinct.
Presently, domesticated animals, that humans deem useful, now outnumber the wild species. Of the entire surface space of land on our planet about 1/3 of it is used to grow food on for humans to eat. Seventy-five percent of that land is used to grow food for the animals that humans use, including food for their pets, zoos, circuses, other entertainment, animal testing, and material goods. A century ago or so the global climate wasn't as noticeable. We didn't have the world wide web either with information traveling globally in seconds. Now we are hyper aware of not only the impact of our actions upon the planet and ourselves and other species, but of our increasing human population along with our material appetite.
Optimistic estimates state that by 2050 about 30-50% of all species will become extinct. Pessimistic estimates state that 50-100% of all life could become extinct by 2100.
As a species we tend to focus more on what we know, and are aware of, but we never hear about the ones who go extinct that we don't know so well. We only become more aware when a certain species is sponsored, and an organization is built around it. Keystone species as an example for one; without which an entire ecosystem would die.
Below is a list of the presently endangered species right here in Florida.
https://myfwc.com/media/1945/threatened-endangered-species.pdf
Extinct Species Because of Humans
Species extinct as a direct impact of human behavior.
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18 Recently Extinct Species
21 Species Lost in 2023
25 Animals Lost in the Past 150 Years
The Last Song of the Kauai O'o Bird
100 Recently Extinct Animals
List of Recently Extinct Animals
Photo Ark | National Geographic
Racing Extinction
The Sixth Extinction in 100 Accounts
Vanishing
World Wildlife Directory
#1 Population Growth
The human population growth is now the number one factor for global warming, climate change and the anthropocene, due to the sheer number of people there are on our planet all wanting the same thing. Over tens of thousands of years, the average population of humans was around 200 million. Since the beginning of civilized society, empires, transportation, Big Ag and a global economical distribution system, the population has grown to over 8 billion by November 2022; rising from only 2.5 billion in 1950. It is estimated to increase a billion more in ten years (2032), another billion more in nine years, the next billion in eight years and by 2049 over ten billion. This is not a sustainable population number, our present population is not a sustainable number, not only for us, but for every other species on earth and the planet with the conditions of life it has created for us all. That is what sustainability means, for all life, not just humans.
As our global population grows so does all our needs for materials goods, food and property to live on. This all leads to more deforestation--destruction of pristine land that is habitat loss for other species of life and therefore leading to their demise and extinction. Not only this, but our continual use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, growth hormones and plastics destroys this land eventually along with the waters on and around it.
Population growth needs to stop and reverse dramatically. Being childless is an option. We spay and neuter the domesticated animals we call pets. If we can do this to them to control their breeding, we can do it to ourselves. This is a severe thing to do, but it may be necessary for those who do not claim to have the discipline to control themselves or trust or believe in using contraceptives.
#2 Animal Agriculture
Animal Ag comes in second for the biggest impact to our environment, other species and ourselves. We can all have electric cars, solar panels and windmills, but this will not address the greenhouse gases of methane released by animal ag that makes up for over 80% of all methane emissions. On top of this, and exacerbated by it, is deforestation due to urban sprawl now caused by overpopulation.
If we all owned electric cars, had only solar and wind power, and ended all CO₂ emissions caused by fossil fuels of coal, oil and gas--alleged to be the cause of global warming and climate change, it would not be enough to even stop it. We cannot kill off billions of people at once, or all get electric cars and solar panels overnight, but we can all stop eating animals as food right now if we chose to.
It is animal agriculture that is the number one issue to address immediately. Raising cattle for humans to eat is the singular problem causing over 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions to date. Literally speaking, if we all went vegan (plant-based in diet) we could stop these emissions almost over night; once there are no more domestic animals left for us to exploit. This would also end deforestation caused from clear-cutting pristine forests to grow more grains on to feed the animals that humans eat.
Even though population growth is the number one factor for the fact of sheer numbers, the biggest and quickest path to reducing these gases is by going plant-based in our diet.
#3 CO2 Emissions
Captain Paul Watson's statement "If the oceans die, we die." couldn't be further from truth. Half of all the oxygen we breath comes from the oceans and is created by photosynthetic plankton at the surface. About the same amount of oxygen that's created by these plankton is used up by the marine life in the oceans.
Right now we are seeing an unprecedented amount of coral bleaching due to ocean temperature rising about the norm for maintaining the life of algae (zooxanthellae) on these coral. The coral expels this algae when waters are too warm. This is what feeds certain herbivorous reef fish. It is very reminiscent of how humans cause deforestation that kills habitat for other species, thereby putting them at risk of becoming endangered or extinct. Likewise how bee colony collapse is related to agriculture and the use of heavily spraying crops with herbicides like glyphosate, as well as any pesticides as well as chemical fertilizers in the soil. All this behavior counters natural ecosystems behavior. What we are witnessing is the same thing happening in our oceans that is happening on land. Mass extinction looms.
Oceanic acidification is caused by CO2 emissions from our vehicles. Our oceans sink about a third of our created CO2. [When CO2 dissolves in seawater, it forms carbonic acid (H2CO3), releasing hydrogen ions (H+) and increasing ocean acidity. Acidity plays a key role in many biological mechanisms, including calcification. ~International Atomic Energy Agency]
Since humans discovered crude oil there was no thought to the impact of the environment--immediate or deferred, other species and ourselves. There is a cost and pay-off for everything. We are now seeing the cost of that impacting us now. We must change ourselves, or even we will not survive.
Answers & Actions | GO VEGAN!!!
Reversing extinction by bringing back species using DNA does not work and it's not a viable solution. Once a species is extinct, it is gone forever. This needs to be realized because we humans are in denial of the reality we are living in, and causing by our own actions. We lack personal responsibility and in our denial think we can fix things in these relative ways using science. This behavior needs to stop along with all the behavior we have that caused the problems impacting the planet and other species to begin with. We cannot reverse extinction, but we can reverse our bad habits and behavior by stopping them and choosing responsible ones that prioritize the planet first. In the meantime we can continue to mitigate these impacts in other ways, while remembering that mitigating is not restoring.
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