We are killing our planet. Of course, it’s not quite that simple, but, as acclaimed writer Elizabeth Kolbert explains in her Pulitzer-Prize-winning book The Sixth Extinction, humans are to blame for the impending mass extinction that will spell the end of many of the world’s species. The Earth has seen five other mass extinctions over the last half-billion years; one of them was the asteroid that obliterated the dinosaurs. But this time, it’s not an asteroid — it’s us.
Kolbert’s research took her across the globe and brought her face to face with evidence of species and habitats changing, and the scientists documenting all of it. She recently talked with the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute about the state of our changing climate, the challenge of finding solutions, and the degree to which she sees room for hope.
This is an excerpt from an article first published by Sustainable Brands. Read the original article here: Staring down extinction: A conversation with Elizabeth Kolbert.Â
