Rating: 8
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
Elizabeth Kolbert | 2014
Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction is a terrifying account of species extinction and ecological loss. What makes it so alarming is the argument that the sixth extinction is occuring now and that humanity is playing a major contributing role. I admire books that take one aspect of environmental change and explore that topic in-depth. Kolbert, building on the work of many esteemed scientists and adding remarkable original reporting, does an excellent job of assessing this extinction event, comparing/contrasting it to the other historical five, and addressing its potential implications.
“To argue that the current extinction event could be averted if people just cared more and were willing to make more sacrifices is not wrong, exactly; still, it misses the point. It doesn’t much matter whether people care or don’t care. What matters is that people change the world. This capacity predates modernity.”