Homo Sapiens

Seventy thousand years ago, homo Sapiens was still an insignificant animal minding its business in a corner of Africa. In the following milennea it transformed itself into the master of the entire planet and terror of the ecosystem. (See “Homo Sapiens and Planet Earth” and “A history of modern humans”)

EARLY SAPIENS; LATER SAPIENS

Unfortunately the Sapiens regime on earth has so far produced little that we can be proud of. We have mastered our surroundings, increased food production, built cities, established empires and created far-flung trade networks. But…… Time and time again, massive increases in human power did not improve the well-being of most individual Sapiens and usually caused immense misery to other animals

Can the planet Survive Homo Sapiens?

Conclusions

1. Conclusion one

Homo Sapiens has become the dominant animal on the Planet. As a species, it has been beset by two opposing forces – first the ability to use intelligent thought and a humanitarian bent to preserve the planet and other species. But this is counteracted by greed and aggressive tendencies. At this time, we are faced by rampant aggression by some nation states towards others, and millions of refugees from wars and climate change.

So the endgames for Homo Sapiens could be that as a species Humans manage to repress their most negative tendencies and act in concert to suppress their disastrous impacts on the planet and other species and achieve…..

A target temperature change of less than 1.5 % There will be some, but limited environmental damage together with a diminution of agricultural land and wildlife. Some damage will be caused through limited warfare, and there will be many refugees. This will cause great conflict and mortality.

Desert in Bloom

Many refugees and limited warfare

2. Conclusion two……

But this could merge into….

Failure to meet the global warming targets (the most likely outcome) will result in some areas of the world becoming uninhabitable, production of foodstuffs will be more and more difficult, parts of the continent of Europe will be less affected than already threatened regions. Large populations of humans will be displaced, many will starve. Great conflict will be a result of a surplus of humans. Many species of wild animals will be obliterated. A result will be a major increase in warfare and armed conflict. These could easily stray into:

Armageddon……

A superheated planet will cause massive reductions in human and animal populations. What is even more terrifying will be a be a massive increase in conflicts, probably leading to nuclear warfare and large portions of the planet becoming uninhabitable.

NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

Destruction of habitats

Habitat destruction is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or die, thereby reducing biodiversity and species abundance. Wikipedia

Species extinction

Human activity, the consumption of fossil fuels, the acidification of the oceans, pollution, deforestation, and forced migrations threaten life forms of all kinds. It is estimated that one-third of corals, freshwater molluscs, sharks, and rays, one-fourth of all mammals, one-fifth of all reptiles, and one-sixth of all birds are heading towards extinction”.

Polar bear survival in Arctic – pollution problems

Melting permafrost

Early spring temperatures in the town of Deadhorse, on the north coast of Alaska, average -17 degrees Celsius. But with global warming affecting the Arctic more than anywhere, things are changing fast. At the end of March 2019, temperatures in Deadhorse hit 3C, a whole 20C warmer than the long-term seasonal average.

When permafrost is frozen, plant material in the soil—called organic carbon—can’t decompose, or rot away. As permafrost thaws, microbes begin decomposing this material. This process releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere.

Melting Sea Ice

Sea ice is frozen water that forms, expands, and melts in the ocean. It is different from icebergs, glaciers, ice sheets, and ice shelves, which originate on land

While sea ice exists primarily in the polar regions, it influences the global climate. The bright surface of sea ice reflects a lot of sunlight out into the atmosphere and, importantly, back into space. Because this solar energy “bounces back” and is not absorbed into the ocean, temperatures nearer the poles remain cool relative to the equator.

When warming temperatures gradually melt sea ice over time, fewer bright surfaces are available to reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere. More solar energy is absorbed at the surface and ocean temperatures rise. This begins a cycle of warming and melting. Warmer water temperatures delay ice growth in the fall and winter, and the ice melts faster the following spring, exposing dark ocean waters for a longer period the following summer.

Changes in the amount of sea ice can disrupt normal ocean circulation, thereby leading to changes in global climate. Even a small increase in temperature can lead to greater warming over time, making the polar regions the most sensitive areas to climate change on Earth.

ROOT CAUSES

It Starts with:

Fossil Fuel Consumption

Which countries use the most fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas)

Effects of Intensive agriculture

Deforestation

ALL OF WHICH LEADS TO THE CREATION OF:
GREENHOUSE GASES

A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range. Greenhouse gases cause the greenhouse effect on planets. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Wikipedia

Greenhouse gases cause warming on the planet, because they trap heat and prevent radiation to space. The main causes of greenhouse gases are human activities, in particular the burning of oil, coal and also the burning of forests and woodlands to open up farmland. Intensive farming also has a big part to play, as domestic cattle emit a huge amount of methane. An increasing amount of fires are caused by extreme heat and dryness, thus creating huge fires sparked by lightning, as in the California and Australian fires of 2019 and 2020.