Anthropogenic Causes

Anthropogenic causes have been the largest contributor to an array of environmental disasters that we are currently experiencing and will experience in the coming decades. The extraction, transportation and burning of fossil fuels is one major contributor to environmental disasters. Another imminent threat we are facing as a species is the extinction of all wildlife on earth. This is due largely because of habitat destruction and climate change. Lastly the global meat industry also accounts for nearly 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions. The amount of land required to keep these animals feed and harvested is almost half of all land on earth. It is important for us gain a better understanding of these topics in order to begin …show more content…
Two thirds of this increase took place after 1975. This increase of 1.4 degrees is so significant because it is extremely difficult to generate enough heat to warm all the oceans and continents of the planet. Historically, a 5 degree decrease in global temperature caused the last ice age. This global increase in temperature is reflective of our heavy usage of fossil fuels. The most serious effect of this global increase in temperature is the melting of our polar ice caps. Another study conducted by NASA has found that sea ice has been melting at a rate of 13,500 square miles a year since 1979. This same study found that by the year 2100 sea levels are expected to rise by 6 feet. This would effectively submerge many coastal cities. Many of these dire consequences could be avoided if we switch to a renewable energy …show more content…
Global warming and habitat destruction are among the largest causes of these mass extinctions. Historically, species extinction occurs as an organic process at 5 species a year. Nevertheless, human activity has increased this process by more than 1,000 times of its natural rate. When one particular species goes extinct this in terms effects another species within the same ecosystem. This is because species of animals depend on each as food sources so any extinction that occurs within a diverse or constraint ecosystem will have a chain like effects. A recent article by U.S News estimated that 75% of all wildlife on earth will become extinct during this mass extinction. Leading causes of species extinction are habitat destruction and deforestation, overexploitation such as too much hunting and fishing, pollution to the environment in which endangered species reside. Not to mention, the spread of diseases and most importantly global warming. One example of this is the mass extinction of amphibians. Amphibians are extremely sensitive to environmental changes and for this reason in the past century their extinction rate is 45,000 times its natural rate. Our survival as a species is inextricably linked to the survival of other biodiversity on earth in many ways. For one, mass extinctions can disrupt ecological processes such as pollination leading to many ecosystem