Is the World Heading Toward a Sixth Mass Extinction?
A scene from a potato field in South Korea has recently emerged as an unusual yet alarming symbol of the growing consequences of climate change. Potatoes buried beneath the soil are becoming soft and spoiling under extreme heat; in some cases, they reportedly appear almost as if they have been boiled underground.Viewed in isolation, the incident might seem like an unusual agricultural problem. But in the broader context of global climate change, it offers a disturbing glimpse into how rapidly the planet’s environmental conditions are changing. And South Korea is far from alone.
In recent years, unprecedented heatwaves have struck Europe, Asia, North America and many other parts of the world. In some regions, temperatures have shattered long-standing records; elsewhere, wildfires have consumed vast areas of forest, while extreme heat and drought have severely damaged agricultural production. At the same time, rising temperatures are contributing to increasing illness and deaths. This is no longer simply a matter of changing weather patterns. It is becoming a manifestation of mounting pressure on the planet’s natural systems.
Is the Earth Losing Its Natural Balance?
Earth’s climate has never been static. Ice ages have come and gone, warmer periods have occurred, sea levels have risen and fallen, and continents have shifted over geological time. But what makes the current transformation particularly alarming is its speed—and the growing influence of human activity behind it. Since the Industrial Revolution, the widespread burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas has increased concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. At the same time, large-scale deforestation, land-use changes, industrialization, urbanization, agriculture and other human activities have placed additional pressure on the planet’s natural carbon cycle and ecosystems.
As greenhouse gas concentrations increase, more heat is retained within the Earth’s climate system. This contributes to a rise in global average temperatures. And the consequences of global warming extend far beyond a number on a thermometer. They include prolonged heatwaves, droughts, extreme rainfall, floods, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, wildfires and mounting pressure on agriculture and biodiversity. In other words, climate change is not the problem of any single country. It is an interconnected global crisis.
Earth Has Experienced Five Mass Extinctions
As old as the history of life on Earth is the history of extinction itself. Over billions of years of evolution, countless species have emerged—and disappeared. Scientists, however, identify at least five periods in Earth’s history when enormous numbers of species vanished within relatively short geological intervals. These events are known as mass extinctions. The causes of these ancient catastrophes varied. They included massive volcanic eruptions, dramatic changes in ocean chemistry, oxygen depletion, rapid climate shifts and even events originating beyond Earth.
The most famous occurred approximately 66 million years ago, during the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction. Scientists believe that an asteroid roughly 10 kilometers in diameter struck near what is now Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, triggering dramatic environmental changes around the planet. Dust and other materials were injected into the atmosphere, reducing sunlight and disrupting food chains. A vast number of species subsequently disappeared.
Among the most famous victims were the non-avian dinosaurs. Yet there is an important lesson in the history of mass extinctions: they did not bring life on Earth to a complete end. Instead, species that survived adapted and evolved within the altered environment. Over time, new ecosystems emerged, along with new species and new forms of biodiversity. And humans are themselves a product of that long evolutionary history.
Is the Current Crisis Man-Made?
This is where the present crisis differs most sharply from the mass extinctions of the distant past. Most of Earth’s previous mass extinctions were driven by natural or cosmic forces. Today, however, a substantial part of the pressure being placed on biodiversity is directly linked to human activity. Forests are being cleared. Rivers and wetlands are disappearing. Oceans are becoming increasingly polluted. Natural habitats are being destroyed for agriculture and urban development. Overhunting and illegal wildlife trade are pushing numerous species toward extinction.
And now climate change has been added to the equation.
When a species disappears, the consequences do not necessarily stop with that species. Its loss can disrupt food chains, ecosystems and, in some cases, the survival of numerous other interconnected plants and animals. That is why scientists and biologists are watching the current trajectory of biodiversity with growing concern.
How Real Is the Threat of a “Sixth Mass Extinction”?
A number of scientists and researchers have described the rapid decline of species and biodiversity in the modern era as a possible beginning of a sixth mass extinction.
However, an important scientific qualification is necessary.
There is no universally accepted scientific declaration that Earth has officially entered a sixth mass extinction. Rather, a growing body of research indicates that extinction rates have risen significantly above estimated background levels and that many species are becoming threatened at an alarming pace.
So the question is not simply whether a sixth mass extinction has already begun. The more important question is: Are humans creating environmental conditions that could eventually develop into a genuine mass extinction? The answer may become one of the most consequential questions facing the planet over the coming decades.
When Forests Disappear, It Is Not Just Trees That Are Lost
The relationship between climate change and deforestation is profound. Forests are among the planet’s most important natural carbon sinks. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store carbon in vegetation and soil. When forests are destroyed, not only does the planet lose part of its capacity to absorb carbon, but some of the carbon stored in trees and soil can also be released back into the atmosphere. According to data from Global Forest Watch, the world lost a vast amount of tropical primary forest in 2022. Major forest regions in Brazil, the Congo Basin and Bolivia accounted for a significant share of those losses.
But the consequences of deforestation go far beyond carbon emissions.
A forest is home to countless species of animals, birds, insects, fungi and plants. Destroying a forest means pushing many species that depend on that ecosystem toward an increasingly uncertain future.
Some species may be able to migrate to new habitats.
Many cannot. Deforestation therefore creates two crises simultaneously: it accelerates climate change while also destroying biodiversity.
Are Heatwaves Becoming the New Normal?
Extreme heat is no longer confined to deserts or traditionally hot tropical regions. Unusually high temperatures are increasingly being recorded even in areas that were once considered relatively cool. The human body also has limits to how much heat it can tolerate. Extreme temperatures increase the risks of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Children, older people, outdoor workers and physically vulnerable individuals are particularly at risk.
Agriculture Could Face Devastating Consequences
The deterioration of potatoes beneath the soil under extreme heat should therefore not be viewed merely as an unusual agricultural phenomenon. It is a reminder that the same temperatures humans may somehow endure can severely disrupt the life cycle of crops. If similar conditions occur on a much larger scale, the consequences could extend across food production, markets, farmers’ incomes and food security.
Humans Are Part of the Same Ecosystem
People often think of nature and humanity as separate entities. In reality, that division is artificial. Human food depends on soil, water, plants and animals. Agriculture relies on pollinating insects, fertile soil and adequate water supplies. Rivers and wetlands are not merely habitats for fish; they are directly connected to human water supplies, agriculture and livelihoods. Forests are not simply sources of timber. They are integral to rainfall patterns, soil stability, water cycles and the global climate system.
When an ecosystem is destroyed, its consequences eventually reach human communities as well. A species that appears unnecessary today may turn out tomorrow to have played an essential role in a food chain or ecological process.
The greatest lesson nature teaches us is simple: No species exists in complete isolation. Is There Still a Way Back? There is reason for hope.
The Earth has not been destroyed. Climate risks are increasing and biodiversity is declining, but because human activity is one of the major drivers of the current crisis, human action can also help slow its progress. Reducing dependence on fossil fuels, expanding renewable energy, protecting and restoring forests, conserving wetlands, promoting sustainable agriculture, protecting oceans and rivers, safeguarding wildlife habitats and reducing unnecessary exploitation of natural resources are all part of the solution.
Most importantly, climate change must not be viewed merely as an environmental issue. It is also an issue of economics, health, food security, human security and the future of civilization itself.
The Final Question Is for Humanity Earth has endured catastrophic transformations before. Life survived five major mass extinctions. New species emerged. New ecosystems developed. But there is a difficult truth embedded in that history:
Nature may survive—but not necessarily every species. The real question is how habitable the planet will remain for human beings. Whether the Earth has truly entered a sixth mass extinction remains a subject of scientific research and debate. But there can be little dispute over the realities of biodiversity loss, deforestation, climate change, warming oceans and rapidly changing environmental conditions.
A potato softening beneath the soil in South Korea may not be a sign of the end of the world. But it raises a profound question: If the Earth’s environment changes so dramatically that even a crop buried beneath the soil can no longer survive within its normal temperature range, how secure will the future of humanity be on that planet?
Nature may ultimately find a way to reorganize itself. But whether humans will remain part of that new world may depend, to a great extent, on the choices we make today.##
