Nature Finds a Way: Life Without Humans

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 103

Nature Finds a Way: Life Without Humans

On several occasions I have pointed out that the environment would be just fine without people but people would not be okay without the environment. This begs the question of whether or not humanity is actually beneficial to the planet or are we just another invasive species. 

But if our existence on this planet is not beneficial then what exactly is our ultimate fate? Is the extinction of humanity inevitable? If it is what would happen if humanity no longer existed? And if that is our ultimate fate, how can we change that? 

This is a very interesting question. If you want to know the answer then stay tuned for Nature Finds a Way: Life Without Humans. 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E103 which is called Nature Finds a Way: Life Without Humans. 

In this episode I want to take a completely different approach to the topic of sustainability. In so many previous episodes I have discussed very specific topics about what we are doing and why, what affect that has on the environment and what is going to happen if we do not change our ways. Yes I can say over and over again things such as “Don’t use plastic bags. Make your own natural cleaning products. Drive less. Go solar. Ditch the single use plastics.” 

But sometimes I feel as if that is just as effective as me standing on the side of the road with a cardboard sign and waving as people drive by. People will simply think I am just another homeless person wanting money. 

But in this episode I want to take a completely different approach and discuss a topic that should concern us all. That topic is the ultimate fate of humanity. I want to examine several different questions: 

-Are humans actually beneficial to the planet or are we just another invasive species. 

-Is the extinction of humanity inevitable? 

-If our extinction is inevitable, what could drive us to that point?  

-What would life on Earth be like without humans? 

-How can we change that? 

I hope you will stick around because this is going to be a very thought provoking episode. But you must know that this episode was basically inspired by recent world events. It seems as if humanity is always at war with one another but until recently there has not been a true threat of nuclear war for decades.  

Due to the recent escalation of tensions between the United States, Russia, China, and North Korea, talks of using nuclear weapons seems to come up frequently. It just makes me wonder if anyone cares about the fact that nuclear war is simply a no win situation. Regardless of the outcome, everyone looses. 

This recent threat of nuclear war causes an enormous amount of stress for all of us. But ultimately I have decided not to even think about it because the simple reality is that if there was a full scale nuclear war, the entire planet would be destroyed in less than 2 hours. And for no good reason. 

These recent events got me to questioning whether human life on this planet was actually necessary and whether or not our existence here is actually beneficial. If not, what would life be like on this planet without humans. 

I also think about this whenever I come across a place that has been abandoned by humans. I see first hand how nature moves in, takes over, and eventually erases any evidence of human intrusion.  Several times a week I drive by an old road bed that is no longer used because the country road was rerouted. It took about 10 years for the grass and weeds to grow over and through the asphalt and return this area to a more natural state. I also see this in areas where the federal government finally restricted access due to environmental destruction. I see this first hand in some areas close to my homestead. After specific areas were closed to human use it only took one or two seasons for the vegetation to return and for wildlife to move back in. 

Is humanity beneficial to the planet?  

After seeing this it makes you question whether or not humanity is actually beneficial to the planet or are we just an invasive species. 

To be fair, there are many ways in which humans have benefited the environment. For example, in western Europe humans permanently transformed the environment into shrub communities known as heathlands. Although these heathlands are artificially created ecosystems in areas of low soil fertility, there are numerous species of insects, birds, plants, and amphibians that thrive in the environment and may possibly go extinct without it. There are even rare species that thrive in this environment. 

There are similar examples such as the Mediterranean cereal crop lands and Spanish tree-grass mixtures. Without these specific environmental alterations the landscape would be fairly barren and would not support a lot of life.  

The establishment of wildlife preserves and national parks protect scores of ecosystems around the globe allowing numerous species to thrive. 

Laws requiring developers to set aside green and open spaces helps to protect the local environment. 

Federal environmental protection laws and management systems provide a wide range regulations to keep companies from destroying ecosystems and illegally dumping industrial waste into the environment. 

Forest management techniques can often have a positive environmental impact. I even see this on my homestead. For example, the lodgepole, spruce and ponderosa trees grow extremely close together and constantly shed pine needles. Due to this, very little if any vegetation grows on the forest floor. Selectively thinning the trees not only reduces the risk of forest fires but also allows much more light to penetrate to the forest floor. It takes less than one season for new grasses and shrubs to grow providing wildlife habitat and even winter browse for deer and elk. 

Now I am certain that there are many other ways that humans benefit the environment and our planet as a whole  But whenever I get into a discussion about how vital and necessary it is to have environmental and forest management programs in place, the first thing I question is whether or not these things would be needed if it were not for human intrusion. That said, now let’s take a look at how humanity is not so beneficial to the environment.

Detrimental Affects of Human Activity 

-We are the only species on the planet that produces trash.

-We have done such extensive environmental damage that it will take hundreds if not thousands of year for the Earth to return to its natural state. 

-We are responsible for the sixth mass extinction event. Human activity and intrusion has increased the normal background extinction rate by a factor of at least 100. 

-If we do not stop our rate of deforestation, our planet will be devoid of trees in 300 years. We are deforesting the planet at a rate of 10 million hectares per year, which is a little less than 25 million acres. In the United States alone, since the year 1600 we have destroyed as much as 90% of the virgin forests. All that remains is on public land. 

-So called “forever chemicals”, which is a class of highly persistent chemicals with over 4,700 compounds,  now pollute almost everything on Earth

-Plastic micro particles can now be found in even the most remote regions on Earth from the top of Mount Everest to the deepest parts of the oceans.

-Approximately 95% of ocean surface water is now more acidic which has a tremendous impact on the entire ecosystem. 

-The warming of the ocean is causing global climate changes. 

-Scientist have now identified 415 dead zones in the waters around the world. Dead zones are bodies of water that have extremely low oxygen levels which makes it uninhabitable. While there are some dead zones that occur from natural causes, most of these are related to pollution. The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is now 8,776 square miles. 

-About 40% of the lakes in the United States are too polluted for fishing. 

-Each year about 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage and industrial waste in dumped into the waters in the US. In developing countries about 70% of industrial waste and sewage is dumped into the water supply untreated. In China 70% of the rivers and lakes are unfit for human consumption. In the United States there are approximately 20,000 known abandoned and uncontrolled hazardous waste sites that are contaminating ground water. 

-If climate change is left unchecked, hurricanes and severe weather events will worsen, sea levels will rise from 1 to 8 feet, droughts will worsen, forest fires season will get longer and longer, further changes in precipitation patterns causing drought in some areas and extremely flooding in others, increase water scarcity will result in food scarcity. 

-Since the 1960s we have been using more natural resources than can be replaced. With our present population growth, some predict that we will run out of natural resources by the year 2040

-Follow the science and you will soon see that wherever humans go, the rate of extinction increases. 

-In fact, the affects of humanity on the planet have been so extensive that it now defines our geological time. From air pollution to plastic fragments at the bottom of the ocean, it is hard to find a place on the planet that has not been altered by humanity in some fashion. 

Need I go on. 

But while we may have reason to congratulate ourselves because of our wealth, cultural development, and technological advancements we so easily forget that nature is literally the bedrock of our existence, health, stability and well being. We forget that healthy and stable ecosystems are not a luxury. They are responsible for our genetic diversity, our agriculture, our food security, drug and resource development, clean water, stable climate systems, as well as our health and mental well being. Yet we are destroying it all.  It is quite obvious that our present behavior is not consistent with our long term survival on this planet. 

There are some prominent scientist who even believe that humans will be extinct in as little as 100 years. Much scientific debate has centered around the fate of Easter Island and whether or not the fall of that civilization was over population, environmental degradation, famine and war. 

Scientist and leading archeologist have spent many, many years unearthing the evidence of previous civilizations around the globe and collecting hundreds of millions of artifacts. One of their driving questions of course has always been what caused the fall of this civilization. 

Most now agree that from the collapse of ancient Rome to the fall of the Mayan empire archeological evidence suggests that there are 5 significant factors that have consistently contributed to the demise of civilizations: 

-uncontrolled population movement

-new epidemic diseases

-failing states leading to increased war

-collapse of trade routes leading to famine

-climate change

But there is also evidence that there were times when all of these conditions were present and a given civilization did not collapse. Some of the contributing factors were continued economic growth and the ability for people to control their tendency toward violence to solve their problems. Despite this it is hard not to feel as if we are encountering some of the same conditions that lead to the fall of previously highly organized civilizations. In addition to that, there is no denying that we have now altered our planet in ways never previously seen. 

Since the dawn of the nuclear age, there have been many theories about the extinction of humanity.  But most scientists agree that with our present technological advances, we have now created new risk factors that threaten our existence. For example nuclear warfare, biological weapons, nanotechnology, and genetic engineering to mention a few. Additionally, we have to contend with uncontrolled population growth resulting in resource depletion.  These self created conditions seem much more likely to result in our demise as opposed to solar flares, asteroid strike, super volcano eruption, and alien invasion. 

It seems rather obvious that most of the risk factors that could lead to our ultimate demise are self created and are inherent in the systems of society that we produce. Our obsessive  attraction to continued growth has squarely lead us to exploitation, environmental destruction on a planetary scale and further conflict. And the only way to stop this is strong international cooperation that is obviously not even on the table at this point in time. There are still world leaders that have the attitude that if I am going to loose then everyone is going to loose. 

Many prominent scientists truly believe that because we perpetuate the very conditions that could lead to our ultimate demise, human extinction is not a matter of “if” but “when.” And if this actually happens, it is troubling to think that thousands of years from now our enduring legacy in the fossil record will simple be a thin layer of plastic and radioactive isotopes. 

Nature Finds a Way: Life Without Humans

But while this may seem to be a rather grim outlook, considering the possibility of our own extinction certainly forces us to consider what we can do to change that. 

But before we discuss that, let’s take a look at what would happen to the world if we were no longer here. If this is difficult to imagine, then let’s first look at some things that happened during the pandemic and then let’s look at places we have been forced to abandon. 

COVID precautions produced a massive global pause in human activity, which is now being referred to as the “Anthropause.” During the height of the pandemic lockdowns, which was April 2020, 57% of the people on the planet were under some sort of movement restriction. Vehicle travel was reduced by 40% and air travel was reduced by 75%. 

The result of this was improved air and water quality, a reduction in noise pollution, and a significant improvement in human-disturbed habitats. 

In March of 2020, Hawaii’s Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, which is a popular snorkeling destination,  closed to all human activity for 9 months. There was a 56% improvement in water clarity followed by a significant increase in fish density, biomass, and diversity. 

Mountain lions in the Santa Cruz Valley in California drastically expanded their territory in the absence of human activity. 

In the absence of noise pollution, white crowned sparrows just north of San Fransisco, changed the way they were singing and attracting mates because their voices carried a lot further. 

In North Wales, UK, a herd of wild goats reportedly descended on a popular coastal tourist town. 

In Barcelona, Spain, wild boars were roaming the deserted streets. 

In Venice Italy, due to the absence of human activity, water clarity dramatically improved and residences reported seeing more fish, ducks, and even dolphins. 

In Albania the population of pink flamingos more than doubled due to the lack of human disturbance. 

After the 1986 Chernobyl accident, approximately 116,000 people were permanently evacuated from a 4,200 square kilometer area, which is about 1,600 square miles, and the Chernobyl exclusion zone was created. Despite long term radiation exposure, elk, roe deer, red deer, and wild boar populations are similar to four other uncontaminated nature reserves in the area. Additionally, the wolf population has increased by a factor of seven. 

What studies have revealed is that regardless of the effects of radiation on individuals, 30 years later this exclusion zone supports an abundant wildlife population. 

Additionally, it only takes a quick internet search to see how nature quickly reclaims places that have been abandoned by humans. 

The World Without Humans

But, what would happen to the world if all of us were gone? After asking myself this question, and doing some research, I came across of very interesting book by Alan Weisman. Mr Weisman spent a couple of years conducting research and interviews to come up with a scenario of what the world would be like in the absence of humans. 

In his book Weisman describes how all the things that humanity has created slowly falls apart. Subways would fill with water. Without human supervision, technological glitches at oil refineries and nuclear reactors would results in massive fires and explosions. The waste that we leave behind would persist for thousands of years and would continue to pollute the surrounding environment and effect the ecosystem. Our bridges and subway tunnels would eventually collapse. Our streets would eventually crumble and be over taken by plants and trees. Our concrete jungles would become dense forests once again. 

Beyond the cities, there would be a huge surge in insect populations in the absence of pesticides and other chemicals. Following that, there would be a return of native plants due to recovery of soils and waterways. Wildlife populations would return. Eventually there would be a rebound in biodiversity on a planetary scale. Eventually, thousands of years from now, the only evidence of our existence would be a thin layer of plastic and radioactive isotopes in the fossil record. 

All you have to do is visit the Mayan ruins in Tikal, Guatemala to see just how fast nature can bury everything we do. That said, researchers have predicted that it would take somewhere between 3 and 7 million years for the planet to make a full recovery from all the damage we have done. But eventually in the absence of humans, the whole world would be one big wilderness. 

Lessons to Be Learned 

As a teenager I first heard about the concept of climate change. I did a little reading on the topic because I thought it was fascinating. Eventually I dismissed the notion because I questioned the validity of such a thing and I thought even if it did happen I would never see it during my lifetime. 

Little did I know at the time that not only was I wrong but I would live long enough to see the devastating results. 

And while you may think this podcast episode is a very bleak way to look at things, there are important lessons to be learned from contemplating our ultimate demise. 

Our well being and very survival is directly connected to the natural world, which we are slowly but surely destroying. If we plan on being part of the future of this planet, we need to be more mindful of what we do each day. 

All you have to do is take a good long look at several areas around the planet where nature has made a healthy rebound to see what happens when humans are not around. All you have to do is look at the obvious effects of climate change. Even in the United States we are not immune to such things. 

Lessons to Be Learned

And of course, there are some valuable lessons to be learned from this if you are willing to listen. 

But first off, did you know that 80% to 95% of the people who go on a diet and loose a significant amount of weight actually gain that weight back. Why is that? This happens because simply go on a diet without changing their underlying behavior and lifestyle. 

-Our first lesson to be learned is that we can no longer throw money and technology at our problems. We have to change the underlying behavior that got us in this predicament in the first place. 

-Research and science has well documented the damaging changes we have made on this planet. We need to pay attention to these established facts. We need to learn from the past in order to build a sustainable future. 

-Since we seem to be migrating to urban areas, more than ever conservation must be integrated with development. 

-We must change our obsession with growth and consumption. This is not sustainable and only promotes further environmental degradation and resource depletion. 

-We are the only species on the planet that produces waste. We can no longer dump and bury the waste we produce and have to change our underlying attitude of “out of sight out of mind” because there is no away anymore. We have to go zero waste, reduce, reuse, recycle. 

-Earth is powered by renewable energy and always has been. The amount of energy that the sun provides in one hour is more energy than what is provided by the fossil fuels that we use over the course of one year. We are the ones that dug up the fossils fuels that are destroying our planet. We can and should learn to live off renewable energy and it may be the only way we survive into the future.

-We can no longer pretend we are exempt from the laws of nature. We can no longer ignore the physical and biological systems that govern our planet. 

-If we are going to survive, we have to ignore politics and economics. Throughout the history of humanity, the people in power have always made the rules. What you have to realize is that our political and economic belief systems that  were invented by the people in power are completely arbitrary and entirely negotiable. To blindly obey those rules is lazy and is simply an excuse to justify poor decision making and maintain the status quo. 

Consequently, when you hear someone completely dismiss something that is sensible and necessary, you have to question their motivation. For example it is sensible and necessary for us to transition to 100% renewable energy, eventually eliminate our use of fossil fuels, protect the oceans, mandate recycling, hold industry responsible for their waste production, eliminate deforestation, and reduce our carbon emissions. But when such things get dismissed because it is not “economical or politically feasible” what they are really saying is “that just isn’t convenient for the people in power right now.” 

There is no doubt that as we continue to recklessly degrade our environment, we are almost daily witnessing the sobering consequences. And if you think as an individual there is nothing you can do, then you are wrong. 

By far the best thing you can do is to simply adopt the philosophy of “leave only footprints.” By doing so, you will reduce your waste, recycle, eliminate single use plastics from your life, adopt renewable energy, eat more sustainably, limit what you purchase, learn to live frugally, manage your water usage, respect other people and cultures, and be kind. 

And if there is one final lesson that we can learn from contemplating our ultimate demise, it is the fact that humanity needs a big dose of humility. We have to accept the fact  that we still have much to learn.  Despite our advanced science and technology, nature is still able to do many things that we cannot. Even a simple pool of pond scum can live entirely on renewable energy, with enormous diversity, resilience, and almost infinite recycling. 

Obviously the rest of life and nature has learned the lessons  this planet has to teach us and lives by those lessons but humanity has not. When we continue to ignore the physical limits of our planet and pretend this does not apply to us, this is a fine display of ignorance and arrogance. We cannot live without nature but nature can live without us. Ultimately nature will find a way to go on in a world without humans.

Well folks I think that’s about it for this week. I truly hope this episode has been sobering and has given you many things to think about. I hope it has inspired you to live more sustainably and to just simply make better choices. 

And if you enjoy the content that I produce then please take the time to leave me with a review and don’t forget to subscribe to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast as well as my companion blog Off Grid Living News. 

And don’t forget to check out the resources in the transcript of this episode because it will provide you will a lot of further reading. 

Until next week, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.  

Patrick 

Resources

Do humans provide any benefit to planet Earth except for ourselves?

How Human Extinction Would Change the Earth

What Would Happen to Earth If Humans Went Extinct?

Nature Can Exist Without Us But We Can’t Exist Without Nature

Humans Will Be Extinct in 100 Years

What Could Drive Humans to Extinction?

Long-term census data reveal abundant wildlife populations at Chernobyl 

Patrick