What takes these geniuses SO LONG to figure it out? I produced this same conclusion almost 10 years ago!

Relatively speaking, time is 'nearly up' for future of human race

James Meek Wednesday September 13, 2000

The human race is set to vanish from the earth much sooner than it would naturally as a result of its destruction of other species and use of fossil fuels, a leading investigator into the history of extinction predicted yesterday.

Michael Boulter, professor of palaeobiology at the University of East London, told the British Association that without a catastrophic event such as the comet or asteroid strike which killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, mammals as a group could have expected to live for hundreds of millions of years before fading from the evolutionary scene.

But the rate at which humankind has made other mammal species extinct since the end of the last Ice Age, argues Prof Boulter, amounts to the beginning of a catastrophic event in its own right.

"Humans are adding to the pace of the present mass extinction which will involve all large mammals and many other groups. We will be one of the extinguished species. The good news is that life on the planet will recover and peace will return to the environment."

Prof Boulter and his group have produced a mathematical model of how groups of living organisms emerge, peak and become extinct. Typically, groups of animals diversify into multiple species rapidly, then slowly decline into extinction.This fits in with the records of fossils.

But the recent rate - recent in geological terms, at least of large mammal extinctions was more typical of the sudden mass extinctions which have occurred five times in the earth's past.

The two key periods in humankind's contribution to the extinction of the mammals were its hunting activities in the aftermath of the Ice Age and its recent use of fossil fuels. Asked whether humankind's unique ability to influence its destiny could be turned to save itself, Prof Boulter said: "Look at the news. There's anger over the high price of fossil fuels. Cutting back on fossil fuels is the one thing human beings must do to stop extinction happening, but they won't do it, will they?"

-- we're dead (told@you.so), September 14, 2000

Answers

Doomers on the Left.

-- (Paracelsus@Pb.Au), September 14, 2000.

This article reminds me of the time I took the kids to one of the museums in Chicago to see a panorama of the sun's destruction. I think my son was about 3 years old at the time. We went to a Hyde- Park cafe for lunch afterwards, and my second daughter began discussing her upcoming birthday and what she may have in the form of a party. My son was silent for a time, and then whispered "Aren't you going to tell her?" I whispered back, "Tell her WHAT?" "That she can't have a party." "Why not?" "The sun!"

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), September 14, 2000.

Those who follow, beyond the skin existenance, fail to worry about the "Gloom and Doom" of mankind. I know, you are saying "another, no nothing, never been there, never envisioned a possibility". That is the route I took, because I had lived in another time frame. We had hardship. Times will not go to Hell in a handbasket. Why not? Because someone else took the fall before you, and suffered the agony. It was not fun. I bought a fairly new car today, after suffering a 12 year old auto, which gave up the mechanical ghost. I have escaped the muse. Thank you, Jesus....

-- Church Fan (Hand@waver.com), September 14, 2000.

You're welcome.

-- (jesus@church.picnic), September 14, 2000.