Page 66 - The Restless Earth Fossils

Marking turning points in evolution 65

During the last several hundred years, human activities have
entered the mix of destabilizing events. Carbon dioxide levels
have soared just since the 1950s, mostly from burning fossil fuels.
Some scientists believe that by 2050, we could see carbon dioxide
levels close to what they were during the warm tropical days of
the Eocene that created the Green River Formation. Ward says he
wrote his book to serve as a warning to heed the evidence of past
climate change and its effect on extinction. “I’m scared . . .,” he
says, “and I’m not going to be silent anymore.”
Knowledge of the deep past can help us plan for and make a
better future.

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