Our Future

What would happen if every species went extinct? Habitats destroyed, pollution and total human rule. And trees? Trees themselves technically do not need animals to survive, but entire populations would suffer from overcrowding, lack of nutrients and soil degradation, eventually leading to extinctions in certain areas. Nothing would survive.

What Would Happen If We Went Extinct?

Nature would slowly take over, animals would break free, the air would be cleaner, wildfires would burn how they did before, floods would engulf regions with water. Animals would die because there's no humans to protect the areas, but just like it always has, nature would recover and bounce back and ecosystems, food webs and cycle of lives would flourish.

Korean Demilitarised Zone

The Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) is a division between North and South Korea and has been since 1953 . Stretching about 250 kilometers long and four kilometers wide, it is one of the most fortified borders in the world where no people are allowed to go. This area has become a sanctuary for nature, allowing diverse fauna and flora to flourish away from humans. The DMZ is home to endangered species like the Asiatic black bear, that need a refuge, thriving in its protected environment. This ecological recovery shows the importance of preserving natural habitats and the potential for biodiversity being restored when human interference is minimised and we let nature be.

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

After the nuclear disaster in Ukraine in 1986, humans evacuated a 30 kilometer zone, and no one lives there anymore because of the radioactive contamination that remains in soil, buildings and water, however animals and plants thrive. Wildlife, yet again, showed their resilience and flexibility by living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone because the lack of human activity such as farming, outweighs the effects of chronic radiation. Many species showed signs of evolutionary adaptations to adjust themselves to the environment. One example of this is the Eastern tree frog, which changed its colour to black, rather than their original bright green, to shade themselves from the radiation. Wildlife in Chernobyl demonstrates resilience, adapting to thrive despite chronic radiation exposure.

The World

Our greatest gift - the planet that you are on at this very moment - is in danger because of us. It survived ice ages, famine, mass extinctions, a collision with a planet-sized body, blackouts, mass vegetation and rainforest collapses on its own, yet humans cannot even save their own species from starvation, water scarcity, extreme poverty and deprivation of basic human needs and rights. As we reflect on the harm we've caused to this planet, we have to work together to save everyone and live in harmony with fauna, flora, infrastructure, cities, farms and ourselves. So much can be restored on Earth, as we've been shown, but it takes change - from politicians, teachers, students, doctors, artists and us - and for us to admire nature's etherealness and give ourselves a reason to change the future of our planet.

EBSCO, BBC, Queen's University Belfast, The Conversation