The True Dimensions of the Environmental Crisis (original) (raw)
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The Extinction Crisis Extinctions are nothing new in nature. Over 98 percent of all species that ever existed on earth are now extinct. Over the past 500 million years, at least five great mass extinctions have occurred. The largest was the end-Permian extinction, which occurred roughly 252 million years ago. Nearly ninety percent of all plant and animal species were wiped out then, probably as a result of rapid global warming. 1 A more famous mass extinction occurred 65 million years ago when the dinosaurs died out, perhaps due to a large asteroid strike that plunged the earth into a prolonged period of darkness and cold. After each mass extinction, it took at least 20 million years for previous levels of biodiversity to be restored. 2 Today we are in the midst of a sixth great extinction-one caused almost entirely by us. Normally in nature, roughly one to five species become extinct each year. Today, dozens, if not hundreds, of species of plants and animals are vanishing every single day. And because of factors such as habitat destruction, climate change, overharvesting, pollution, and invasive species, the extinction crisis is rapidly worsening. According to a recent landmark United Nations report, about a million species are at risk of extinction over the next few decades. 3 Worldwide, humans have wiped out 60% of all mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles since 1970. 4 A quarter of all mammals and a third of all amphibians are now listed as "threatened." In this chapter, we explore why biodiversity matters and how we should respond to the extinction crisis.
What is the Relationship between Human Activity and Species Extinctions?
2013
The ecological crisis is rooted in humankind's greed and refusal to practice good and faithful stewardship within the divine boundaries of creation."position statement from General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists 1 God's Word clearly articulates His expectation that we be faithful stewards of His creation. Thus, we should become broadly informed on issues that affect life on this planet and to proactively accept our responsibility to safeguard the well being of our cohabitants-the extraordinarily diverse microbes, plants, and animals that God created and repeatedly pronounced as good (Genesis 1). Today, many scientists believe we are confronted with one of the planet's greatest extinction events of all time, resulting in an ecological meltdown and biodiversity crisis. Unfortunately, many issues relating to this dire situation have become highly politicized, leading to polarization. Whereas some Christians seem unconcerned that we will be held accountable for how we manage the resources God provided with the original creation, others insist we should join the largely secular movement to preserve that which remains of the creation. To gain a better perspective on the relationship between human activities and species extinctions, we begin by summarizing the history of human-caused extinctions. We then describe three key lines of evidence that humans have precipitated an ongoing major extinction event that continues to gain alarming momentum. Within this context, we elucidate the primary anthropogenic (human-related) causes of species extinctions and biodiversity loss. We then conclude by revisiting the Christian's perspective on species extinctions, and urge a greater role in ameliorating the destruction of God's creation. History of the Modern Extinction Crisis Extinctions have featured prominently in earth history, as evidenced by abundant fossil remains from prior catastrophic events. Today, however, many scientists believe we are in the midst of a major extinction event driven largely by human activities. 2 Three distinct waves of human-caused extinction have been identified. 3 The first wave, occurring in prehistoric times, propagated with the spread of humans to previously uninhabited areas where animals that had never before encountered humans quickly succumbed to overhunting. On major continents, humans butchered the "megafauna" (large mammals), including the mammoths (genus Mammuthus), mastodons (Mammut), and bison (Bison) of North America. 4 However, the impacts were greatest on island ecosystems. As the Polynesians spread across the Pacific Islands, as many as 2,000 species of birds vanished. 5 On Madagascar, at least eight species of flightless elephant birds (family Aepyornithidae), two species of Malagassy hippopotamus (Hippopotamus), up to 17 species of giant lemurs (primates of suborder Strepsirrhini), the giant fossa (Cryptoprocta spelea, a large, cat-like carnivore), and
The Eco-Crisis and Species Ego-Death: Speculations on the Future
AaSTRACT: A profourdly disrupive confiontation wirh the timis of trc carrying<a1**ity of tle planer appan inevitable in this century. This crisis, however. nray finction as a kirul ,rf glfut initiation inro a new stage of humanity's g;ychostrial developnrnt. By drawing comparison-s tr: rhe iiysrical ordeal of ttrc &'t night of '\ *ul..this paper suggcsls *rc eco-crliis may constitute what anxunts to a dark night of the spectes-soul. drawing us colhctively into a deelrr crpcriene of our spiritual cornrngn xround.
What’s wrong with human extinction?
Canadian Journal of Philosophy, 2017
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Human Beings Face Extinction: We need to act now
The global climate is unraveling at rates far beyond the predictions of scientists. The studies are so common by this date, and the scientific evidence so pervasive going back at least half a century, that there is no need to cite sources about this fact. The oceans are dying, the fisheries are becoming exhausted. The forests are dying. They are devastated through human overuse, logging, wildfires, acid rain, and rapidly changing climate conditions. Agricultural lands are drying up and losing productivity, the land, water, and air are polluted. Artificial human-made chemical compounds are found in the tissues of every living creature on Earth, with unknown synergistic effects. The oceans are rising, displacing millions of coastal dwellers and submerging prime agricultural lands. The habitats for animals and life in general are disappearing, and many species go extinct daily. The polar caps are melting, irrevocably altering the planet's climate. Rainfall is irregular, with periodic droughts alternating with devastating floods. The world becomes hotter every year with devastating consequences for the living things dependent on consistent temperatures and regular natural cycles At the same time, the global human population unsustainability continues to increase. Despite some promising UN Conferences on the endless global population increases that took place in 1974, 1984, and 1994, the UN has dropped this absolutely fundamental issue as a priority because it lacks popular support from many directions, not least of all from the world's imperial Leviathan, the United States. Many planetary thinkers believe the carrying capacity of the Earth has been exceeded for decades now. Once the carrying capacity is exceeded, then climate collapse and extinction become inevitable. In a recent article (July 18), Noam Chomsky declares: " Survival of Organized Human Life Is at Risk Due to Climate Change and Nuclear Weapons. " Meanwhile, the nations of the world focus on " sovereignty, " militarism, national independence, trade wars, and unsustainable capitalist development. " Sovereign independence " is written into the UN charter in multiple ways and continues to function as an untouchable sacred cow, preventing the development of global citizenship everywhere on Earth. Each nation inculcates loyalty into its citizens and criminalizes any non-government sponsored relationships with foreign officials, which they label " disloyalty " and " treason. " Trillions of dollars are poured down the toilet of militarism that are needed to protect and restore the planetary environment. Nuclear weapons are refined and made " combat ready, " and countries like North Korea correctly understand that without the nuclear deterrent, they would suffer the same destruction as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya. For the imperial system led by the U.S. and its NATO allies continues to work for a global hegemony to counter the growing influence of Russia and China, politically and economically, without concern for human rights, dignity, or the welfare and livelihood of many millions who appear of less worthiness to live because they are " not us. " Books such as Nuclear Madness by Helen Caldicott or The Doomsday Machine by Daniel Ellsberg regularly appear detailing the many times that the near use of these weapons has brought humanity close to extinction, but few seem to care. Our fragmentation, hate, fear, and need for " enemies " is so much greater than our desire for a future for our children or the planet.
'Anthropocene' a new Tool for Understanding of human generate backlash of Nature.
The most recent epoch, the Holocene, has been a period of relative environmental stability, allowing humans to develop agriculture and establish settlements, culminating in modern civilization. Human activities have now reached such a scale that we are having significant impacts on planetary systems, and these effects are of sufficient magnitude to Within a human lifetime, the face of Earth has been transformed. Cities now dominate the landscape, and even if people disappeared tomorrow, cities would remain one of the Anthropocene’s most visible and enduring legacies.In 1950, only 29% of people lived in cities. Today more than half do, and that proportion is expected to reach 70% by 2050. Recently, urban growth has shifted from Europe and South America to Asia and Africa. Asia’s urban population is growing faster than that anywhere else. It passed the billion mark in 1990, and is expected to reach 3.4 billion by 2025. In the next couple of decades, more than 275 million people are projected to move into India’s enormous city centres. In Africa, meanwhile, only 40% live in cities, but this is changing fast.This frenetic urban growth is a big cause of environmental change. It drives loss of agricultural land, changes in temperature and the loss of biodiversity. Cities consume two-thirds of the world’s total energy and account for more than 70% of all energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. But people living in cities often have low carbon emissions because of efficient public transport systems and the fact that people often live closer to their work. Neither climatic nor biogeochemical stability is likely to continue in the Anthropocene, and the Earth systems we rely on to provide a liveable environment for human society are likely to become much less predictable. The stability of our infrastructure, the reliability of our production systems and the liveability of our cities will all be much less certain in the future. More research on the diverse aspects of global change will certainly help to improve predictions on the timing and extent of changes, but will not alter the basic conclusion that global change is upon us.