Tired of hearing about the IRS, State Department, and DOJ encroaching on our freedoms? Well, forget that, we're going to become extinct anyway, at least according to one alarmist author.
Annalee Newitz gives us an article titled 7 Signs We Are Heading for a Mass Extinction in which she tells us, "There have been five mass extinctions on Earth over the past 540 million years ...". She goes on to list seven early warning signs, which include a mix of signs, threats and theories, as follows (the order is hers):
7. Earth Is Bubbling with Super Volcanoes,
6. Invasive Species Are Everywhere,
5. Climate Change,
4. Ocean Acidification,
3. Extinctions Are Happening At A Higher Than Average Rate,
2. All the Megafauna Are Dead (that would be giant mammals), and
1. Amphibians (frogs) Are Dying Out.
Her recommendations:
We can curb fossil fuel emissions to prevent climate change from getting worse, and we can preserve biodiversity by maintaining natural areas where animals won't be edged out by human settlements.
Aw, wouldn't you know. We're bringing this extinction on ourselves. Drive electric cars, shut down factories, and move into compact urban areas, and we'll save the planet for another generation of humans.
Sorry for the sarcastic tone, but I'm more of the Julian Simon school of thought, especially when a little bit of clicking reveals that the rumors of frog extinction were a bit premature.
Besides, if humans do it to themselves it will come rather suddenly with something like nuclear bombs.
[So we're back to worrying about the bomb again are we? - Robo-ed. Well, no, but a tornado shelter might be nice. - Sleepless.]
Comments