LIFE & EXTINCTION EVENTS ON OUR PLANET – WHAT WE KNOW

Life evolved gradually on the Earth. Occasional disruptive events caused widespread extinctions and restructuring of the biosphere. The most recent such event, the Industrial Revolution, in the space of a few generations caused an explosion in human population, demand for land and energy consumption, attended by global warming, loss of other species, and reductions in biodiversity and ecosystem stability. There is now a growing recognition of the growing threat this poses, and of the need for vigorous actions to avert a potentially catastrophic future.