Scientists have warned that the 6th mass extinction of life on earth is unfolding more quickly than feared. The main drivers of wildlife decline are habitat loss, overconsumption, pollution, invasive species, disease, as well as poaching in the case of tigers, elephants, rhinos and other large animals prized for their body parts. The ultimate cause of all these factors is human over population and continued population growth & over consumption.
Humans have increased in population and distribution faster and more efficiently than practically any other living thing in the history of the planet. In fact, some scholars even think that we need a new designation for the period in Earth history impacted by humans. They call it the Anthropocene, and this the Anthropocene Extinction because it’s being caused by our actions. In fact, scientists estimate that 99% of currently endangered species are at risk due to human impacts on the environment.
As humans spread, we require more space for our physical dwellings and to produce our food. That’s billions of acres no longer being used by other species. Studies have found that in mammals alone, about half of all species lost 80% or more of their distribution range between 1900 and 2015. The more space we use, the less there is for other living things.