What wiped out the dinosaurs? Was there a catastrophic event that caused a mass extinction? Many people think that the dinosaurs were killed off by a giant asteroid that collided with Earth.
The asteroid's impact was strong enough to cause huge volcanoes to suddenly erupt. This caused flood basalts. These are massive lava flows that cover a huge area of land and ocean floor. The eruptions and the debris from the asteroid filled the sky with a dark and thick layer of ash.
The ash was so thick that sunshine could not get through to the land. Because of this, plants could no longer grow. Plant-eating dinosaurs slowly starved to death, followed by the carnivorous dinosaurs who fed on those plant-eaters.
For the last 10,000 years, Earth has been going through another extinction event. Right now more than 35,000 animal species' existence is being threatened. During the 20th century alone, more than 500 land animals became extinct. What is causing all of this?
Many people think humans are to blame. Humans have created a lot of plastic waste, cut down trees, overhunted animals, introduced invasive species, and much more. Other people think that it is natural for animals to go extinct. They think it is part of life since a handful of extinction events happened without humans being present.
Using fossil records, scientists found that animals are going extinct much faster than they should be. They found that without humans, some of these animals would be able to live for another 800 to 10,000 years.
Overpopulation can lead to extinction. There are hypotheses that explain how Earth only has enough resources for a certain number of people. The number of people is based on the resources each person needs in order to live. With more people, we need more space to live and more food to eat. Many of the animals' habitats are destroyed to make more space for people. Without a home, animals cannot live. With more people, we would need to use more resources, like water. It also means humans will create more waste too. These factors could lead to more animals being wiped out.
Some people think overconsumption is a bigger threat to our existence than climate change. We are using up more resources and at a faster rate than our Earth can handle. Materials that are used to make things come from Earth. Then they are processed and made into products that we buy. When we use more, we also make more waste. A lot of plastic goes into our waters and hurts marine life.
Many items like clothing and shoes are made to be enjoyed for a short time, then something new replaces them. There are also many items that are only used once before being thrown away. Think about the cup you get when you order a drink or the straw that comes with it. Some people think that this lifestyle will cause humans to go extinct.
What can we do? Some places impose restrictions. Stores have to use paper bags instead of plastic ones. Some places use materials that can break down by themselves. We can do our part to help too. We can bring and use our own reusable bags, cups, and straws. To stop overusing energy, we can bike or walk to nearby places. We can also choose to use clean energy like solar power.