Humans could become the greatest driver of biosphere net gain in Earth history, but we are currently the second fastest driver of biosphere loss
Thomas W. Wong Hearing, Mark A Williams, Jan Zalasiewicz, Heiko Balzter, Davor Vidas, John Maltby, Julia Adeney Thomas, Sergei Petrovskii, Colin N. Waters, Martin J. Head, Libby Robin, Elizabeth A. Hadly, James S. Borrell, Colin Peter Summerhayes, Alejandro Cearreta, , Moriaki Yasuhara
The paper compares human impact on the biosphere to historical disruptors, finding humans are the second fastest driver of biosphere loss but uniquely capable of mitigating it.
bioRxiv · Jul 25, 2026 · PreprintPaleontology