The Sixth Extinction: Chapter 13

     In Chapter 13, Kolbert goes to the Institute for Conservation Research to study the future. She is shown a frozen zoo, with a set of vials containing genetic remains of the black-faced honey-creeper, and other vials of other extinct or near-extinct animals. Kolbert wonders, why the world’s beautiful plants and animals need to go extinct to make room for humanity. In 1974, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act, which arranged for the protection of animals on the verge of going extinct. Kolbert speaks with Barbara Durrant, a reproductive physiologist, about extinction and survival. Durrant tells Kolbert about a Hawaiian crow named Kinohi. As Hawaiian crows are endangered, Durrant was trying to get Kinohi to reproduce, but she had no success. Throughout her book, Kolbert has been talking about the Sixth Extinction: the mass-extinction of the world’s life forms, caused by human behavior. She even suggests that one day, humans could go extinct, too. The fact that humans have survived for so long doesn’t prove that they’ll continue to survive. Some argue that human ingenuity will allow the species to survive indefinitely and perhaps we’ll explore other planets and find more space to develop. But Kolbert argues that the survival of the human species, while important, isn’t the most important question we should be asking.

     The themes that most resonated with this chapter are understanding the role of cultural, social, and economic factors is vital to the development of solutions, a suitable combination of conservation and development is required, and management of common resources is essential. In the book it states, “Certainly humans can be destructive and short sighted; they can also be forward-thinking and altruistic. Time and time again people have demonstrated that they care about what Rachel Carson called ‘the problem of sharing our earth with other creatures,’ and that they’re willing to make sacrifices on those creatures’ behalf… Silent Spring exposed the dangers posed by synthetic pesticides, and within a decade, most uses of DDT had been prohibited. “ (Pg. 261) (C) I can connect this to APUSH because in the 1960s-1970s, the environmental movement pressured Congress to pass measures to promote cleaner air and water, hence the Clean Air and Water Acts. In the late 1970s, the movement increasingly addressed environmental threats created by the disposal of toxic waste. Awareness events such as Earth Day gave rise to the environmental movement and led to widespread popular support for protecting the environment. (R) It’s important to protect the environment because the ecosystem in which we live provides natural systems for humans and all other species that are essential to our health, quality of life and survival.

By: Mousumi Dhar