asteroid-impact theory by providing a location where the asteroid may actually have landed .
6 . Believe it or not , we are currently in the middle of a sixth mass extinction . The current rate at which animals are going extinct is anywhere between 100 and 10,000 times greater than the normal extinction rate , a mere 10 to 25 species per year . What sets # 6 from its 5 predecessors , however , is the fact that this mass extinction is the result of human activity . The most obvious harmful side effects of human behaviors are pollution and habitat destruction . Less obvious are the negative impacts of the introduction of invasive species and the mere fact that there are too many humans on the planet . These effects are indirect , byproducts of “ normal ” human activities , but human contributions to extinction are direct as well : over-harvesting is also a growing issue . Plants and animals are hunted , fished , and gathered for consumption , but also for pleasure ; deer are hunted for trophies on the wall , elephants are hunted for ivory , exotic animals are hunted for pets , minks are hunted for fur coats .
Debate rages , however , concerning climate change . Climate change is one of the most pressing environmental issues , for it is causing the melting of our polar ice caps , as well as the extinction of hundreds of species as habitats become degraded or unsuitable due to unnatural temperatures . Many argue that climate change is human-induced , due to the high amounts of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere . Others , however , argue that climate change is a natural occurrence , and everything is as nature had intended . Undeniably , whether caused by human impact or by natural cause , climate change is provoking the rapid extinction of species on our planet .
natural or man-made ?
26 VOGUE JUNE 2013