Limon Miah- Chapter 6 Journal

In Chapter 6, Kolbert visits Castello Aragonese, a small island in the Tyrrhenian sea that was formed due to the pressure between African and Eurasian tectonic. Colbert visits the island to observe the effect that the release of carbon dioxide gas as a result of the formation of the island is having on the surrounding marine life. While scuba diving near the island, she discovers that the sea life is very weak as there is still carbon dioxide being emitted from the seafloor. Additionally, Kolbert explores a bit about the contributions that humans have made to carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and the backlash that it will have on the world. For example, she states that humans have been emitting carbon dioxide into the air from as back as the industrial revolution due to their burning of fossil fuels, and have also contributed to it by cutting down trees. Kolbert also states that as a result, carbon dioxide composition in the atmosphere will double which will cause effects such as an increase in the world's temperature, melting of the world's glaciers, and changes in sea levels. Furthermore, later in the chapter Kolbert observes sea life from the sea, for example, she sees a starfish missing an arm. This shows the dangers that carbon dioxide emissions have the potential of having on marine life, but also foreshadows what ultimately will become of marine life if humans continue their emissions of CO2. Furthermore, Kolbert also explores the dangers that ocean acidification will have in the future. For example, it has the potential to wipe out ecosystems, and cause bacteria and plankton to flourish which will deprive the rest of the marine life of necessary nutrients. As a result of the quick changes that humans are having on the earth, Kolbert deems that the Anthropocene epoch will have the most devastating catastrophe on earth.

An APES theme that this chapter connects to is that humans alter natural systems and that technology and population growth have enabled humans to increase the rate and scale of their impact on earth. For example, in the chapter it states “Since the start of the industrial revolution, humans have burned through enough fossil fuels… to add some 365 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere. Deforestation contributed another 180 billion tons, Each year, we throw up another nine billion tons” (pg. 113). Human nature has always desired to progress and advance in new ways in order to better serve humans altogether. A backlash of this mentality though is that humans have relied on using the earth too much, they took advantage of what was once an abundance of resources, up until they realized that even the most basic natural resource that humans rely on for survival, freshwater, is becoming scarce. (R) Despite the immense amount of technological advancements that humans have made as well as the pleasure that it has come with, it always comes down to hurting the earth in the long term. Now as a result of hundreds of years of human mistreatment of the earth, we struggle with the reality that earth is heading towards an inevitable catastrophic future, but also with the question (Q) can humans give up the progression they’ve made in order to ensure the survival of not only the earth but also the human race.