Welcome to the sixth mass extinction

I fish for smallmouth bass and trout in one of the creeks in my area, which still has decent populations of each. However, I haven't seen a turtle in years. Fifteen years ago, I would see dozens and dozens every time I went, from little half-dollar sized ones to fully grown adults.

Similarly, the creek used to have bullfrogs all along. I haven't heard one of those in years.

Some of the problems are from the gravel mining done on the creek. When it rains hard and floods, loosened gravel travels downstream, filling in many of the formerly deep holes. Some of it is pesticides, and some of it is people letting their cattle roam, water and wade in the creek. And some of it, especially with the frog population, is related to global warming and the hole in the ozone layer. Frogs, salamanders and the like with oxygen permeable skin can't handle the increased radiation.

 

Frogs are pretty well fucked. It's a big part of Kolbert's book.

It's really depressing. We essentially destroyed the planet. We didn't necessarily mean to destroy the planet. But we did. And now we're in denial, because that's easier than trying to either reverse/slow down the damage, or to face up to and acknowledge what we've done, and admit it's the cost of doing business.

 

The same kooks who claim there have been at least five or six major Ice Ages in our earth's history, including this current one that started about 2.58 million years ago, continue to try and sell the idea that mankind is responsible for the major changes in climate and the resulting extinction of species.

But doesn't matter - now that I know we only got 30 years left before we are all out of here, fuck recycling!!!

 

Sheesh, Dick ...

 

The planet will survive.
Humans might not. Oops.

 

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