The Sixth Extinction
Posted by eric christian on Apr 27, 2011 · Member since Mar 2006 · 1501 posts
I throughly enjoyed this article.
http://www.actionbioscience.org/newfrontiers/eldredge2.html
article highlights:
Can we stop the devastation of our planet and save our own species?
We are in a biodiversity crisis — the fastest mass extinction in Earth’s history, largely due to (in order):
human destruction of ecosystems
overexploitation of species and natural resources
human overpopulation
the spread of agriculture
pollution
exactly why i am not sure if i want to have kids that will be a part of this mess!
Thats the conundrum, not to procreate and wash hands clear of any involvement or create for positive change.
I am comfortable leaving nothing behind, it is how I entered this world...
I read somewhere two humorous theories.
a) Humans are a cancer on the earth; unknowingly on course towards uncontrolled growth just die off when its consumed its host.
b) Societies and cultures rise and fall. We are overdue for collapse looking in histories past.
The most unique concept is that we have an understanding that we are the general cause, but all the same it coincides with patterns of decline and extinction..
I'm intrigued by this article. I'll read it when I'm not distracted with work and can focus my full attention to the article.
Read a science fiction book, years ago, called 'Terrarium'... set in the distant future, it was about a small group of rebels trying to escape the network of contained/ interconnected biospheres which walled off all human civilization from the toxic environment they'd poisoned; turned out (spoiler alert!) that when the human rebels finally succeeded, they found a world fresh and green and thriving-- the Earth had simply encapsulated the problem species, like troublesome cysts or tumors, and carried on without them.
(Here's hopin'!)
('cause without some plan like that, it's looking pretty grim...)
Read a science fiction book, years ago, called 'Terrarium'... set in the distant future, it was about a small group of rebels trying to escape the network of contained/ interconnected biospheres which walled off all human civilization from the toxic environment they'd poisoned; turned out (spoiler alert!) that when the human rebels finally succeeded, they found a world fresh and green and thriving-- the Earth had simply encapsulated the problem species, like troublesome cysts or tumors, and carried on without them.
(Here's hopin'!)
('cause without some plan like that, it's looking pretty grim...)
Ha! I have this non-religious version of Noah's Ark (kids book) that tells this same story (sort of). I love it! People were always giving us biblical Noah books <eye roll> and then we found this one that is about the environment/humans destroying it...and it was our favorite! I will have to find that book for the exact title.