Are we technically extinct?
In simple terms, the answer could be “Yes”
In practical terms, a species becomes extinct when, for one reason or another, the population enters a downward spiral. Species can be declared “technically extinct” even though individuals of the species may still be alive, once this downward spiral has been entered in an irreversible manner. And while the state of current human overpopulation might point to a safe distance from extinction, other variables can suggest that we have entered a downward spiral:
1. Ecosystem Collapse
A species is “alive” in technical terms as long as the ecosystem it lives in can still support it. With bird populations 30% down, insects 80% down, lack of bees to pollinate our crops and a million more species facing extinction, it is only a matter of time before we learn our lesson the hard way: by destroying our ecosystems we have scored an own goal.
2. The species is becoming physically unfit
Air pollution. Microplastics. Toxins in the food chain. Cancer continues to rise, and so are immune disorders. All of these are signs that the species is impacted by the very situations it has created for itself: polluted cities and sedentary lifestyles.
3. Pandemic risks are on the rise
While our lifestyle has lowered our immune systems, making us more vulnerable to infection, at the same time we are more connected than ever, making a world wide pandemic easy to spread across the world like wild fire. To ad more heat, we are losing the battle against bacteria. Overuse of antibiotics has led to resistant infections that used to be treateable. New antibiotics are not being developed fast enough. Humans could be almost wiped out the old fashioned way in the end: by a super bug. It has happened multiple times in our history. Only this time climate change can worsen the outlook. For example, malaria could be seen in Europe once the continent becomes warm enough.
4. Birth rates could drop suddenly
Obesity, cancer, mental illness, urbanisation and preoccupation with technology are impacting both our bodies’ ability to have children, as well as our minds’ interest in starting a family in the first place. Africa is one of the last remaining regions of the world that continue to maintain a birth ratio above 2.0, which is required to replenish the population. But even in Africa birth rates are dropping dramatically. By one estimate, our population could be peaking in the year 2050 at 9 billion, following which a decline will begin across the world, in the footsteps of today’s developed nations. While this may be a welcome decline in terms of human impact on the climate, it won’t be reversible.
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