(Based on an essay by Mekhi Dhesi in the blog Rationalising The Universe)
Does humanity face a permanent extinction tomorrow, day after tomorrow, a few years, or thousands, millions, or billions of years from now? When will the curtain be down both for the human species and our companions in nature?
Two factors can cause this extinction. One is anthropogenic when we as humans are responsible; the other is non-anthropogenic, involving nature itself.
Anthropogenic changes cover human activities related to biophysical environments, natural resources, global warming, environmental degradation, ocean acidification and ecological collapse.
In the non-anthropogenic category, controlled or getting out of control, is the mighty nature of nature. That includes asteroids hitting the planet earth, extinguishing the Solar system or dramatic increase in its flare, our neighbouring planets stepping out of the planetary movement, and a full-fledged attack from other celestial species, or even the tiny viruses capable of erasing our existence from the mother earth.
Anything can happen tomorrow, a few years, or thousands, millions, or billions of years from now. Or it may not happen at all during our generation or many more generations. Who knows!
-Promod Pur
Promod Puri.com 