Holocene extinction
AROUND 8,000 BCE TO PRESENT
Species made extinct ?
Also known as the sixth mass extinction, for the last 10,000 years Earth has been in the midst of another extinction event, which is rapidly removing animals from our planet. Scientists define a mass extinction as around three-quarters of all species dying out over a short geological time, which is anything less than 2.8 million years. Right now we find ourselves at the beginning of the latest mass extinction, which is moving much faster than any of the others. Since 1970, the populations of vertebrate species have declined by an average of 68 per cent, and currently over 35,000 species are considered to be threatened with extinction. During the 20th century alone, as many as 543 land vertebrates became extinct.
ARE HUMANS TO BLAME?
Humankind is always at the end of a pointed finger when it comes to casting blame for the climate crisis. Ever since the pollutant-pumping industrial revolution in 1760, humans have been the main contributor to Earth’s current environmental crisis. From greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion, to deforestation, the plastic pile-up and the illegal animal trade, we have actively stripped the world of some species, and threatened many more.
There are those that argue climate change and the extinction of animal species are a natural part of life, and in some ways that’s true. After all, the first five mass extinctions occurred
without the presence of people. However, the difference is the speed at which these mass extinctions happen.
Fossil records don’t just tell us what creatures existed before us, but also how long a species can naturally survive before becoming extinct, without human interference. This is referred to as the background rate, which is set at around a million years. Currently, because of human activity, this background rate is tens of thousands of times higher, meaning species are becoming extinct much faster than they should be. Studies have found that some species lost from Earth would have continued to survive for 800 to 10,000 years without the interference of human activities.
PANDEMIC PERSPECTIVE
Never before has the world been able – if not forced – to take a step for normal life and give nature the breathing room it needs. 2020’s lockdowns have led to a 17 per cent global decrease in carbon emissions, and a 20 per cent fall in nitrogen oxide levels. Waterways cleared up and animals were seen venturing into cities and towns around the world. While it appears a wonderful revival for the planet, it’s a temporary one as human civilisation returns to normal and extinctions return to their previous rate.
Ecotourism is an industry that fuels conservation efforts worldwide, and since global travel restrictions were imposed, it’s on the verge of collapse. Without the income of tourists, conservationists aren’t able to help protect vulnerable species from poaching, which during the pandemic has been on the rise. Rhinos in Botswana, wild cats in South America and tigers in India have all been targeted over the last year.