The Holocene Extinction

We have entered into an unprecedented time in history when our species has done so well that we have become the virus eating and rotting our green planet. Geologists are now debating to call this era the Anthropocene. Since 1970 we have doubled in population and we have already decimated most of the habitable areas of the planet  along with water and food sources. We are regretfully entering into the 6th major extinction event on the planet called the Holocene Extinction. This time, no asteroid will have caused it, we will have. Ironically, Humanism has done so well in advancing the health and wealth of all people on the planet that we have quickly used up all our resources. Our success as humans is killing us. Here is some background facts and information to support this grim conclusion:  POPULATION EXPLOSION Fritz Haber - responsible for half the population explosion today. Noble prize 1918 Food choices (meatbased) has declared war on the world. See Cowspiracy movie Frank Fenner, (scientist credited for eliminating smallpox) predicts humans extinct in 50 years In 1980, he announced to the World Health Assembly that the disease had been eradicated, an accomplishment hailed as the greatest achievement of the World Health Organisation. We require 1.5 earths to feed 7 billion according to Global Footprint Network We will need 2 earths to sustain everyone by 2030. END OF MAN Nasa predicts a collapse of the species. Anthropocene Holocene Extinction Fresh water is running out! 52 % of wildlife is gone since 1970 50% of rain forest has been cut down! 90% of all large fish since since 1950 are gone Climate is heating up 30% increase in CO2 in ocean since 1960 10% increase in global methane and coming from Arctic- Permian Extinction We are in 6th of Earths extinction events What happened on Easter Island is now occuring globally LOSS OF RESOURCES Farming has changed 50% of all the earths arable lands for human food. The UN now insists this is a major threat to environment. 80% of all our drinking water goes to livestock. It takes 1300 Gallons of water to make a burger according to USDA. 80% of rainforest is gone and 90% of rainforestof entire West Coast of Africa is gone forever. Livestock production produces more carbon emissions then cars. In 2007 California lost 190,000 acres to wildfire. Yearly 18 million acres of rain forest are lost. San Joaquin Valley lost equivalent of 2 Lake Meads in only 4 years! Ogallala Aquifer drying up in 50 years. EATING MEAT IS PRIMARY CAUSE OF RESOURCE DEPLETION Report from the Worldwatch Institute says that “…the human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future…” 5% of water consumed in the US is by private homes. 55% of water consumed in the US is for animal agriculture. This and other great statisics with sources. -The Book by Dr. Richard Oppenlander " Comfortably Unaware Insights: Water loss in California and export of water for livestock. A quarterpounder requires 55 square feet of rainforest 100 million actres in California, Nevada and Arizona. 82 M used for livestock. 500,000 acres urban zones. rest is State and Federal that continues to open areas for livestock. 50 million pigs in Iowa and Missouri using 60 times the water per pig then a human uses daily. These are accelerating the depletion of the Aquifer and the return of the Dust Bowl. 28 billion fish are taken in ocean annually. Up to 5 times more biomass is killed in process There are 60 billion livestock animals alive today. 30 to 50 million sharks each year are killed as bykill. 35,000 miles of rivers and groundwater in 17 states has been permanently contaminated by farm waste. 42% of irrigation water in California is used for livestock. Use of aquifer in San Joaquin is pumped out at half a trillion gallons more then recharge rate. This is California largest source of drinking water formed from the last ice age melt. The ground has sunk 29 feet. The Ogalala will be dry by 2020 and 8 states depend on its water. It is drawn down 3 to 10 feet/year. When fires occur in California, it is broadcast on the news. During October 2007, for example, when approximately 190,000 acres in California were lost, there was seemingly non-stop news coverage. That same year, over 30 million acres were lost in the rainforests, with no news coverage whatsoever. Is one circumstance really less devastating than the other? In fact, over 30 million acres of rainforests per year have been lost every year since the 1970s. Although some of this rainforest land is logged, most is slashed and burned, then used to either raise cattle or to raise crops to feed to cattle. As much as 80 percent of all global rainforest loss is turned into grazing for cattle or crops for livestock, and the process is extremely land-intensive. It requires fifty-five square feet of rainforest to produce just one quarter-pound burger.