Humans have a huge impact on our planet's environment. Let's take a look at what they won't tell you about the 6th extinction. ✔ NEW MERCH AVAILABLE:
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Number 9 Holocene
In broad terms, this is a rapid decrease in the planet’s biodiversity. It essentially takes places when the rate at which biological species die out is much faster than the rate at which new species are formed. Evidence suggests that there have been five previous ones throughout our planet’s history and that we’re currently living in the sixth. The 6th coincides with the epoch that we’re currently living in, called the Holocene, which began roughly 11,650 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age.
Number 8 First Event
About 2.4 billion years ago, our planet’s atmosphere and the shallow ocean underwent a rise in oxygen. It’s still unclear why, but in time, it enabled the rise of new living organisms as more free energy was available.
Number 7 Megafauna
A few thousand years ago, at the dawn of the Holocene, humans coexisted with woolly mammoths, giant sloths and saber-toothed tigers. There’s an ongoing debate of whether these species and many others are not around anymore due to climate change. There’s no doubt that the Earth’s climate underwent some drastic changes at the end of the last Ice Age, which affected the habitat and food sources of many large animals.
Number 6 Loss of Habitat
Agriculture developed around 11,500 years ago and it’s the foundation upon which our civilization was built. About 10,000 years ago, sheep, pigs and cattle were domesticated. In the early days, population growth was dependent on how much land was used for farming. This meant, they no longer exclusively relied on their environment for sustenance and that they could control the food they produced. In the years following the emergence of agriculture and domestication, up to present times, wild animal populations have decreased as a result of human activity.
Number 5 Domestic vs Wild
One study has indicated that approximately 60 percent of biodiversity loss may be attributed to the large scale feed crop cultivation, required to feed billions of farm animals. One recent example is the conversion of significant portions of the Amazon region to agricultural terrain, for meat production. By some estimates, over a quarter of the planet’s ice-free land is used for cattle grazing. Controlling the animal food source has meant supporting an ever-growing human population and opening a pathway to economic growth. The rapid rate of expansion was detrimental to the habitats of wild animals. Recent studies show how livestock accounts for 60 percent of the total mammal biomass, humans account for 36 percent, whilst wild animals account for 4 percent.
Number 4 Species
Here’s a thought experiment that has been the base for numerous works of science fiction. Let’s suppose that a technologically superior extraterrestrial species lands on Earth, by accident, and finds all our resources to be compatible with their needs. It’s one of the principles upon which invasive species function. Non-native species can directly prey upon or out-compete those already existing in an area. Human activity has intentionally or inadvertently influenced the spread of invasive species.
Number 3 Ocean Pollution
The Holocene has affected the world’s oceans in a number of ways, one being pollution. Rising levels of carbon dioxide have led to an increase in ocean acidity. This puts pressure on marine creatures that have exoskeletons or calcium carbonate shells, as they react with the acid. A number of coral reefs around the world, which were once rich habitats, have become bleached and void of life. Almost ten million tons of plastic, mainly consisting of single-use plastics, are being dumped into the ocean every year.
Number 2 Rates
According to Professor Gerardo Ceballo, the lead researcher in the study, “Our activities are causing a massive loss of species that has no precedent in the history of humanity and few precedents in the history of life on Earth.” Former president of the American Association of the Advancement of Science, Peter Raven, claims humans have driven the rate of biological extinction up several hundred times beyond the levels previously seen in history. He fears a loss of the majority of all species by the end of the 21st century.
Number 1
Whaling has reduced cetacean populations over the years. Poaching and overhunting are significant driving factors of defaunation. Game animals have been hunted both for their meat and for products derived from their skins, hides, pelts and furs. As of 2019, 70 percent of the 362 species of megafauna are in decline.
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