AP Environmental Science
8 July 2018
Mr. Callahan
Elizabeth Kolbert introduces the prologue by distancing readers from their own species; she describes humans as initially weak and infertile. With time, however, they become “singularly resourceful” with their ability to adapt, push into different regions, hunt large prey, and reproduce at an unexpecting rate. Even so, mankind is also marked by its destruction in order to survive; for thousands of years, humans have razed forests, shifted organisms geographically, and changed the composition of the biosphere. Kolbert then goes on to say, “No creature has ever altered life on the planet in this way before.” As a result, Earth is due for another mass extinction. After reading this, I was quite shocked since I wasn’t aware of how big an impact humans had on the Earth. If another mass extinction is due, why isn’t this being broadcasted on news outlets? Why aren’t more people being environmentally cautious? How will the animals go extinct — will it be immediate or gradual below the public’s eye? Overall, Kolbert references the theme that humans have been altering the planet for millions of years; from shifting animals to rising sea levels, Kolbert aims to bring awareness to mankind’s grave actions in the following chapters.
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