What is the 6th Mass Extinction? What Can You Do?
Have you heard of the Sixth or 6th Mass Extinction?
You should have.
We’re right in it!
We’ve had 5 mass extinctions so far on our planet. Probably the best-known one is the extinction of the dinosaurs (as well as many other species) over 60 million years ago.
A Mass Extinction is a massive die-off of plants and animals all across the planet.
And although mass extinctions have happened before, there are 2 big differences between the previous ones, and the one happening now:
- Humans weren’t around in great numbers in the previous mass extinctions.
- This mass extinction is entirely and totally caused by humans, not natural disasters.
How have we caused such a catastrophe?
Our over-consumption of resources has caused huge habitat destruction and pollution, which has led to climate change.
The result?
The 6th Mass Extinction, which will probably eliminate half of all species by the turn of the century.
Fully half of all species?
Does that sound awful – or not too bad? (After all, humans are pretty clever).
Why should we care?
Because it’s just daft to think that if we lose half of everything else, we’ll still be OK.
We won’t.
- We need bees, flies and birds to pollinate our crops so we can eat.
- We need lots of rainforest around the world to regulate rainfall so we don’t have more droughts and floods.
- We need healthy oceans, full of corals, plankton and fish. Oceans also stabilize our climate (as well as feeding the world).
- We need ice in the North and South poles, even in summer. Ice reflects most of the UV light hitting it, sending it back. If there’s no ice, the open sea will instead absorb solar radiation. This causes huge heating – we’re already seeing this.
There’s more – but that’s enough for now.
Do We Care About the 6th Mass Extinction?
Of course, it’s easy to forget about it all. After all, there’s work, and family, and TV, and celebrities, and air conditioning, and mortgage repayments, and big sporting events.
But the fact is, we humans really do need Nature to survive.
And yet, the majority of people don’t care too much about it.
(They’ll only care when things start falling apart).
But we all need to start changing how we view Nature, because we need to change everything from our consumer spending habits to overpopulation.
And the good news is that all of us – each and every single one of us – CAN make a difference!
And it doesn’t matter who you are, or how much wealth you have or don’t have.
Decisions
The fact is, your buying decisions either help – or harm – the planet. Your buying decisions contribute to the 6th mass extinction – or not.
Every time you open your wallet, you’re saying to a retailer, “I approve of what this was made from, how it’s packaged, the distance it was shipped to me, and I want you do to it again and again.”
Your power is real!
- Do you eat less meat, and locally-grown fruits and veggies in season?
- Do you cold-wash laundry using a cold water phosphate-free detergent?
- What’s the packaging on the products you buy?
- Do you use public transport? Have you bought a smaller car and do you drive it less?
- Do you fly regularly?
- Do you buy bottled water, or drink tap water (perhaps with a water filter)?
Whatever you buy, contributes to climate change and the 6th Mass Extinction.
The 6th Mass Extinction may not totally wipe out humans, but it will certainly make life more difficult for all of us.
Can we do anything about climate change? Definitely! Click on the report to download it – it’s FREE !Saving Others
It’s a fact that when we save other species, we’re actually saving ourselves.
Plants provide wonderful medicines. Animals teach us new things all the time – dolphins show us communication while freshwater mussels display the effect of pollution, for example.
But even beyond all the self-serving reasons, every species is special. Created over thousands or even millions of years, each species is worth saving just because they are all so unique and priceless. They enrich our world.
Our planet is worth saving (it’s the only home we’ve got).
We can’t survive without Nature.
Nature will support and provide for us – but only if we don’t kill everything around us, by our desire for the latest gadget, our obsession with single-use disposables, and our insatiable appetite for so-called convenience, growth and buying.
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What do you think about the 6th Mass Extinction? Had you heard of it before?How are you making a difference? Let me know in the comments below.
Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to download your free report on slowing Climate Change (if you’re already a subscriber, you’ll go straight to the download page).
It’s terrifying and I doubt there is time to turn it around. There aren’t quite enough that care. Many do and are doing their best. I see it all over the internet. Blogs about simple and sustainable living. Yet there is always the other extreme in large ways. I took down a tree on my property that I lease. The roots were invasive and growing under the house, driveway and into the water lines. I just found a tree to replace it with and added another as well. Take down one, put in two or three. I’ve been adding since I moved here. We rarely leave the house but combine trips to do it all at once. Daughter takes the bus to work and drives the car once a week to come see mom. 🙂 She pays extra rent to be closer to work so there is less commute. Some of us are trying in every way possible. Many just never will. Good article though.
You’re right Marlene, there are many people who don’t care, and who don’t see the impact of their lifestyles on the planet. I wrote an article a little while ago on “rolling coal” – people who deliberately re-tune their big cars so they emit vast plumes of filthy smog. I just don’t understand the attraction. A chap commented that he feels there’s nothing wrong with it, because “we’re not doing any harm”. Luckily, he’s balanced out by all the wonderful people like you and your family who live mindfully. Stricter manufacturing regulations and the Paris climate agreement also help. There may not be time to turn it around as you say – but we’ll still keep trying to help avert the worst excesses!
[…] week, I wrote about the 6th Mass extinction. We weren’t around when the dinosaurs went extinct, but we are now – and it’s us humans who […]
Over the 4th of July weekend I visited a local museum with my son and granddaughter. One of the exhibits was of all the animals that are now extinct, protected and threatened as a result of “human-caused” climate change. While my granddaughter loved all the exhibits it was that one she took the most time questioning us about and studying. Seeing the animals (stuffed) that are no longer here, or loved animals we could shortly lose had saddened her so much that since then we’ve had to answer more questions on what she can do to prevent further loss. If we want to change course we need to be educating the children who are so impressionable.
That’s really interesting Lois, thanks so much for sharing that experience. You’re absolutely right, kids will be living with the worst effects of climate change and they need to know all about it and what we can all do to help.