Do you think there will be an "Extinction Level Event" on Earth soon?

[ecstatic]

Poll question: Do you think there will be an "Extinction Level Event" on Earth soon?

Optimism check.

I was just reading this... http://www.armageddononline.org/asteroid.php

[bryant69]

1. God I hope so.

I'm so fucking tired of everybody.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[helderheid]

3. Thanks for the morning giggle

:)

[Atman]

2. Republicans in 2008

Not soon enough though.

[wuushew]

4. We are in the midst of the Holocene extinction event already

we don't have to wait for anything.

[ecstatic]

6. Wow. Just googled it. Interesting! nt

[Jonathan50]

5. It's been happening for quite some time now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_extinction_event

The Holocene extinction event is a name customarily given to the widespread, ongoing mass extinction of species during the modern Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these extinctions are occurring in the rainforests. Because the rate of this extinction event appears to be much more rapid than the "Big Five" mass extinctions, it is also known as the Sixth Extinction. Since 1500 AD, 784 extinctions have been documented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources<1>. However, since most extinctions are likely to go undocumented, scientists estimate that during the last century, between 20,000 and two million species have become extinct, but the precise total cannot be determined more accurately within the limits of present knowledge. Up to 140,000 species per year (based on Species-area theory)<2> may be the present rate of extinction based upon upper bound estimating.

In broad usage, the Holocene extinction event includes the notable disappearance of large mammals, known as megafauna, by the end of the last ice age 9,000 to 13,000 years ago. Such disappearances have been considered as either a response to climate change, a result of the proliferation of modern humans, or both. These extinctions, occurring near the Pleistocene / Holocene boundary, are sometimes referred to as the Pleistocene Extinction Event or Ice Age extinction event. However the Holocene extinction event continues through the events of the past several millennia and includes the present time.

The observed rate of extinction has accelerated dramatically in the last 50 years, to a pace greater than the rate seen during the Big Five. There is no general agreement on whether to consider more recent extinctions as a distinct event or merely part of a single escalating process. Only during these most recent parts of the extinction have plants also suffered large losses. Overall, the Holocene extinction event is most significantly characterised by the presence of man-made driving factors and its very short geological timescale (tens to thousands of years) compared to most other extinction events.

[ecstatic]

7. I'm reading that article now. I wonder if humans are safe due to technology

And how the extinction of large mammals might affect humans? I'll continue reading, maybe my questions will be answered.

[The2ndWheel]

8. In our attempt to control nature

we'll destroy it to save ourselves. Whatever is left will live long lives in cages within the artificial world we create, since our species seems to have quite a hate for nature and evolution. What we want to go extinct is chance. We want to eradicate unpredictability and inefficiency. So we'll get rid of life, and create a smart, rational, perfect, predictable, efficient, single, machine.

[Double T]

9. The Extinction is already in progress; in geologic time the Extintion..........

is a moment away. Human behavior has created the conditions for the extinction. Optimism is a good excuse to avoid reality.

[InvisibleTouch]

10. Mass extinction underway right now.

In the days of the Dinosaurs a species went extinct, on average, about every 1000 years. Today we lose one every single day.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. "There is no safety in the cosmos" - Alan Watts

Our species is a momentary blip on the radar screen of evolution. An interesting and destructive one, but still a blip.

We think we're special because we tell ourselves we are.

[Ganja Ninja]

12. Yes because this is my reality and once I'm gone the ...

rest of you will blink out of existence. Sorry about the bad news.

[longship]

13. The earth will be fine....

However, we're gonna go buh-bye.
:evilgrin: (George Carlin)

But, then there's always Apophis to worry about.

[lectrobyte]

14. Extinction of what? We could do a lot of damage and wipe humans out,

but life would continue.

[Uncle Joe]

15. I checked global warming, however I believe viruses will become more virulent due to global warming.

Thanks for the thread Truth Hurts A Lot

[gravity]

16. We are the mass extinction event

Humans have killed off thousands of species during the past 30,000 years.