Mass Extinction of the Human Species
The future is not guaranteed for individuals, and the same is true for all of humanity. Of the millions of species that exist on this planet humans are known as the most intelligent, but maybe this is a misconception. While mankind carries on its activities, the chance of a mass extinction grows with every misuse of the earth. It is more likely that humans will cause their own extinction than it is that they would be wiped out by a natural catastrophe. Humans are also known as a violent species so it is not unreasonable for one to analyze the threat of a mass extinction due to a nuclear war. Humanity is looking into biological warfare as well, and it would be foolish to ignore the risks and the …show more content…
Our environment is also impacted by the ever growing human population. Some people believe that there is nothing wrong with our habits and reckless behavior, but scientists have proven that ongoing extinctions are caused by humans. We also know that know that the present extinction rate is greater than the background rate of extinction - the rate that species die out under normal conditions (Wilson). This increased rate is caused by human activity, and one example of a human caused mass extinction is the wipeout of several pollinator species due to the uprooting of pollinated varieties of apples. These plants were uprooted because there was a demand for specific apples in the 1980s, so farmers made room for these particular plants by getting rid of the others (Assessment, Millennium …show more content…
The article “It is Extremely Unlikely Human Beings Will Become Extinct” claims that humans will not die out due to a natural event. They also believe that a mass extinction of humans would have to be planned by humans themselves. Their research has led them to believe that there would have to be a series of fatalistic events in order to destroy mankind (Payne); however, the issues they accounted for do not factor in the damage created by human activity. We may not become extinct because of natural events, but there is nothing natural about a nuclear war, biologically enhanced pathogens, or a poisoned
The future is not guaranteed for individuals, and the same is true for all of humanity. Of the millions of species that exist on this planet humans are known as the most intelligent, but maybe this is a misconception. While mankind carries on its activities, the chance of a mass extinction grows with every misuse of the earth. It is more likely that humans will cause their own extinction than it is that they would be wiped out by a natural catastrophe. Humans are also known as a violent species so it is not unreasonable for one to analyze the threat of a mass extinction due to a nuclear war. Humanity is looking into biological warfare as well, and it would be foolish to ignore the risks and the …show more content…
Our environment is also impacted by the ever growing human population. Some people believe that there is nothing wrong with our habits and reckless behavior, but scientists have proven that ongoing extinctions are caused by humans. We also know that know that the present extinction rate is greater than the background rate of extinction - the rate that species die out under normal conditions (Wilson). This increased rate is caused by human activity, and one example of a human caused mass extinction is the wipeout of several pollinator species due to the uprooting of pollinated varieties of apples. These plants were uprooted because there was a demand for specific apples in the 1980s, so farmers made room for these particular plants by getting rid of the others (Assessment, Millennium …show more content…
The article “It is Extremely Unlikely Human Beings Will Become Extinct” claims that humans will not die out due to a natural event. They also believe that a mass extinction of humans would have to be planned by humans themselves. Their research has led them to believe that there would have to be a series of fatalistic events in order to destroy mankind (Payne); however, the issues they accounted for do not factor in the damage created by human activity. We may not become extinct because of natural events, but there is nothing natural about a nuclear war, biologically enhanced pathogens, or a poisoned