Radical overhaul needed to halt Earth's sixth great extinction event

Journal Contribution ResearchOnline@JCU
Laurance, Bill;Ehrlich, Paul
Abstract

Life has existed on Earth for roughly 3.7 billion years. During that time we know of five mass extinction events — dramatic episodes when many, if not most, life forms vanished in a geological heartbeat. The most recent of these was the global calamity that claimed the dinosaurs and myriad other species around 66 million years ago. Growing numbers of scientists have asserted that our planet might soon see a sixth massive extinction — one driven by the escalating impacts of humanity. Others, such as the Swedish economist Bjørn Lomborg, have characterised such claims as ill-informed fearmongering. We argue emphatically that the jury is in and the debate is over: Earth's sixth great extinction has arrived.

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The Conversation

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9 November 2016

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6

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The Conversation Media Group

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