"The Sixth Extinction" Chapter 6- Matthew Batista

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, we have seen increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at an alarming rate. Studies show we have added approximately 365 billion tons by burning fossil fuels, and an additional 180 billion tons as a result of deforestation(113). We add another 9 billion tons or so a year, an amount that has been increasing 6% annually. Essentially, we have increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air to “higher than at any other point in the last several million years”(113). This directly correlates with humans altering natural systems because we are releasing mass amounts of carbon and at an alarming rate. We are increasing the temperature and polluting the oceans causing various animals to not strive in their ecosystem anymore. Going back to carbon, some of the carbon dioxide is being absorbed by our oceans to create carbonic acid. This is lowering the pH of our ocean and killing much of our marine life. Kolbert explains, “...the vents could be used for a new and more ambitious sort of study. This one would involve not just a few species reared in tanks, but dozens of species living…”(116). The vents that are located at Castello Aragonese release carbon and makes the water acidic. In studying, scientist have seen how a change in pH will affect the aquatic life. Kolbert uses the drastic decline in life forms around the Castello Aragonese as a warning sign of what is to come if we continue to increase carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

The biggest issue in my opinion is that people aren’t aware of how our actions are changing the world we live in. Yes, everyone knows that global warming exist; however, they don’t know what global warming is. There’s a big difference between knowing what it is and hearing about it. If we educated more people about the detrimental effects of human activity and gave them steps on how they can help change it would go a long way. For instance, Kolbert talks about creatures known as calcifiers. Many different well known species are calcifiers, “Echinoderms like starfish and sea urchins are calcifiers, as are mollusks like calms and oysters”(121). The importance of calcifiers is that they can’t survive in the areas where the pH is 7.8. Such common animals, will be gone just like that because they can’t continue to “build their shells or exoskeletons or calcitic plates”(121) because calcifiers must form calcium carbonate. However, this won’t be possible if the oceans are acidified. Personally, I love the ocean and every summer I try to go snorkeling in a new area in the world. This year, I went snorkeling in Cancun and it’s amazing to see how diverse the ocean is. Just to see all different colors of fish and different species of fish swim around is magnificent. However, it’s daunting to think that one summer I might not be able to go snorkeling and see all these beautiful fish because human activity killed them off.