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johnnymacinta
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Do you believe that at the rate we are going we will in actuality destroy the earth, or do you believe that the Earth is strong enough to counteract the mistakes of human kind?
Ryan_m_b said:Regarding your question I think it isn't phrased correctly. If you are asking will the biosphere collapse to the point where most life is dead then my answer would be yes, if you are asking will the biosphere collapse to the point where there is no life then my answer would be yes, if you are asking will the biosphere collapse to the point where no life is possible then my answer would be yes and finally if you are asking if the physical body of the Earth will one day be broken apart then my answer is yes.
Oops well spotted, I forgot to clarify that I was saying yes because all these things will one day naturally happen due to the expansion of the sun. We have the capability now (I would argue) to cause a mass extinction though possibly not to completely eradicate life. Anything else (again I would argue) is beyond us.CaptFirePanda said:Are you saying that it is possible for the human population to bring all of these about?
johnnymacinta said:Do you believe that at the rate we are going we will in actuality destroy the earth, or do you believe that the Earth is strong enough to counteract the mistakes of human kind?
A small correction, but perhaps important. No species of dinosaur lived for 200 million years. Comparing the entire Dinosauria with a single species is misleading. Hominids have been around for a few million years. At the species level I would be surprised if dinosaurs were much more 'resilient' than primates.jduster said:Humans have only lived 200,000 years. They would be lucky to live another million years. Dinosaurs lived 200 million years and still became extinct. Just to show you the scale, humans have little impact on the Earth.
Well, crocodiles and sharks have been around virtually unchanged for many millions of years. Though, technically, they are not the same species.Ophiolite said:A small correction, but perhaps important. No species of dinosaur lived for 200 million years. Comparing the entire Dinosauria with a single species is misleading. Hominids have been around for a few million years. At the species level I would be surprised if dinosaurs were much more 'resilient' than primates.
jduster said:Earth cannot be destroyed by anything within Earth.
It can only be "destroyed" by something of larger mass.
Humans will become extinct far before the Earth.
Ophiolite said:I think you are falling victim to the same approach of comparing things that are not directly comparable. Technically the crocodiles alive today are not even the same genus as those which were alive several million years ago. A specialist in Crocodilia would be unlikely to accept your assessment that they were 'virtually unchanged'.
Still not the same genus. As far as I can recall the living species are members of the same Family as the extinct forms, so there are substantial differences between live and fossil examples. The Coelacanthiforme Order went extinct, it was thought, at the end of the Cretaceous and the excitement surrounded finding members of that Order still extant today. I repeat, in terms of species it's not night and day, but April and October.DaveC426913 said:Okay, Coelacanth.
Ophiolite said:Still not the same genus. As far as I can recall the living species are members of the same Family as the extinct forms, so there are substantial differences between live and fossil examples. The Coelacanthiforme Order went extinct, it was thought, at the end of the Cretaceous and the excitement surrounded finding members of that Order still extant today. I repeat, in terms of species it's not night and day, but April and October.
I don't apologise for harping on about this, for in terms of biology these distinctions are important - loose phraseology leads to loose thinking and often erroneous conclusions.
The Earth is not going to die in the sense that it will completely cease to exist. However, human activities such as pollution, deforestation, and climate change have the potential to greatly alter the Earth's ecosystems and make it uninhabitable for many species, including humans.
The Earth's lifespan is estimated to be around 5 billion years. It is expected that the Sun will eventually expand into a red giant, engulfing and destroying the Earth. However, this is not expected to happen for another 5 billion years.
While the Earth's ultimate fate is inevitable, there are steps that can be taken to slow down or mitigate the negative effects of human activities on the planet. This includes reducing carbon emissions, conserving natural resources, and promoting sustainable practices.
If the Earth becomes uninhabitable for humans, it is likely that we would need to find a new planet to live on. However, this is not a feasible solution in the near future. It is important to take action now to prevent the Earth from becoming uninhabitable in the first place.
While the Earth's future may seem bleak, there is still hope for its survival. By taking action to reduce our impact on the environment and implementing sustainable practices, we can help ensure a livable planet for future generations.