Originally posted by fruity
I don't know of any scientists who have claimed CO2 caused the last five major extinctions. As nobody was around to witness them, we can only postulate what caused those mass extinction events. Rapid changes in the climate do rank highly as contenders though.
It does not matter why the climate changes rapidly to have mass extinctions, only that it does. We know CO2 influences the climate, and we know it is causing rapid changes in the climate now. What kind of dodo says "CO2 did not definitely cause the last 5 mass extinction events on Earth, so why should we worry"?
Have you ever heard of asteroids? The massive extinction of the Dinosaurs occurred as a result of an asteroid that came down in the Gulf of Mexico, 66 million years ago. Before that the Dinosaurs had been around for at least 172 million years! After that event the sun didn't shine directly for a 1000 years. Now that's what I call climate change. So beware of what will be eventually happen, because we'll be hit again and again and forever till the end of the existence of this planet. Higher Co2 concentrations in the atmosphere are a walk in the park compared to what can happen as a result of a piece of space rock colliding with us. That event, wiped out 90% of the species on Earth.
By the way it was that event, which was partially responsible for the rise of mammals. From those small mammals that existed and survived, we evolved as humans! Such are the benefits of climate change. The evolution of something new! Obviously, nothing much is taught in schools or universities these days!!! Then again, people don't read either!
