Shocking parallels between ancient mass extinction and climate change

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The world is on the brink of a sixth great extinction of species, a new study says. Unlike the mass extinction events of geological history, the current extinction challenge is one for which a single species – ours – appears to be almost wholly responsible. Species of animals and plants are currently dying out at least 1,000 times faster than they would without human interference.

Just to illustrate the degree of biodiversity loss we’re facing, let’s take you through one scientific analysis…

• The rapid loss of species we are seeing today is estimated by experts to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the .*

• These experts calculate that between 0.01 and 0.1% of all species will become extinct each year.

• If the low estimate of the number of species out there is true – i.e. that there are around 2 million different species on our planet** –  then that means between 200 and 2,000 extinctions occur every year.

• But if the upper estimate of species numbers is true – that there are 100 million different species co-existing with us on our planet – then between 10,000 and 100,000 species are becoming extinct each year.

Species dying out 1,000 times faster with humans on the scene – study

The Extinction of Animal and Plant Species

“The Great Dying” redux? Shocking parallels between ancient mass extinction and climate change