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Humans are the primary cause of the sixth mass extinction from "summary" of The Sixth Extinction (10th Anniversary Edition) by Elizabeth Kolbert
In the annals of life on Earth, there have been five mass extinctions, events that wiped out the majority of species living at the time. Each of these extinctions was triggered by natural events such as volcanic eruptions or asteroid impacts. However, in the modern era, a new force has emerged as the primary driver of extinction: humans. Through activities such as deforestation, pollution, overhunting, and climate change, humans have altered ecosystems around the world at an unprecedented pace. Species that once thrived in their natural habitats are now struggling to survive in the face of human-induced changes. The rate of extinction today is estimated to be 100 to 1,000 times higher than the natural background rate. As our population grows and our demand for resources increases, we continue to enc...
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