Scientists: humanity is on the verge of the sixth mass extinction

New Researcher Reports showedthat the Earth is rapidly approaching the sixth mass extinction. This is evidenced by the huge number of animal species that are currently on the verge of extinction.

David Storch, Professor of Ecology at Charles University in Prague thinksThe Sixth Mass Extinction: fact, fiction or speculation? / Biological Reviewsthat the current rate of extinction of living organisms is at least twice the natural rate of extinction. The main reason for this acceleration is the sharp deterioration of the climatic situation around the world, which threatens billions of species.

However, one should not think that the process of extinction of species will be noticeable on the scale of one, two or even three generations of people. According to Storch, this could take millions of years, and so far man is only at the very beginning of this destructive path.

Kunio Kaiho, an employee of the Japanese University of Tohoku, has a different opinion. He

discoveredRelationship between extinction magnitude and climate change during major marine and terrestrial animal crises / Biogeosciences proportional relationship between the average temperature of the Earth's surface and biodiversity in nature. The scientist notes that in order to understand the rate at which species will disappear, it is necessary to measure the "background rate of extinction." The acceptable limit is 5-10% of dying species per million years of life on Earth. And anything above 10% threatens with more tragic consequences. And while humanity has a chance to rectify the situation, since the dangerous line has not yet been passed, Kaiho noted.

Since its formation, our planet has experienced five large-scale disasters that have led to the extinction of most species of the living world. Each of the extinction periods lasted about 2.8 million years is a very short time compared to the 4.5 billion years of the Earth's history.

Once the most dangerous threat to the planet and its biodiversity was a giant asteroid that destroyed about 65 million years ago 76% of all species in the world, including dinosaurs, now man independently dooms life on the planet, changing the environment and provoking change climate.

Today, world leaders, environmental scientists and environmental activists are trying to keep the increase in the average temperature on Earth within one and a half degrees. And the failure of this mission will lead to a variety of consequences. One of the most devastating could be the melting of the planet's ice sheet and a significant rise in ocean levels - minimum half a meter by 2100.