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What Earth Without People Would Look Like

Raynor writes "Imagine a world without people. What if every human being, all 6.5 billion of us, were suddenly abducted and the planet was left to fend for itself? The planet would heal. 'The sad truth is, once the humans get out of the picture, the outlook starts to get a lot better,' says John Orrock, a conservation biologist. Pollution would cease being created. It would remain around for many years, CO2 taking as long as 20,000 years to be restored to it's natural level, but will decrease. Even if we were all whisked away and our nuclear reactors melted down, it would have a surprisingly little effect on the planet. Chernobyl gives hope to this end. 'I really expected to see a nuclear desert there,' says Ronald Chesser, an environmental biologist. 'I was quite surprised. When you enter into the exclusion zone, it's a very thriving ecosystem.' In the grand scheme of the world there would be little evidence of our existence at 100,000 years. The most permanent piece is the radio waves we've emitted of the last century. As the article puts it, 'The humbling — and perversely comforting — reality is that the Earth will forget us remarkably quickly.'"

21 of 671 comments (clear)

  1. And best of all... by mr_majestyk · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...nobody would be running Windows.

  2. What about styrofoam? by pestilence669 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Is all the environmental hype about styrofoam over blown? Will some ancient civilization mine for it like we mine for oil? ... or will it disappear?

  3. no by geekoid · · Score: 5, Funny

    "The sad truth is, once the humans get out of the picture, the outlook starts to get a lot better,'"

    not to me.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  4. Re:Pollution = hurting other people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Like in professional sports teams?

  5. One thing is for sure... by admactanium · · Score: 3, Funny

    Falling trees would never again make a sound. So sad.

  6. Re:Pollution = hurting other people by s20451 · · Score: 4, Funny

    How about just a world with one of me (heterosexual male) and all women. A short but happy life....

    When the gender ratio exceeds 3:1 mass situational homosexuality begins to kick in.

    That's not a bug, that's a feature!

    --
    Toronto-area transit rider? Rate your ride.
  7. Re:Pollution = hurting other people by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Funny

    So... dinner and a show?

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  8. Re:Pollution = hurting other people by James_Aguilar · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sounds like engineering school . . .

  9. Re:Yup by monoqlith · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ben Affleck has vanished and now no one can save us!?

    I thought Ben Affleck vanishing was saving us.

  10. Re: by ottothecow · · Score: 3, Funny

    I was really hoping the article would come with a picture.

    --
    Bottles.
  11. George Carlin on "saving the planet" by hellfire · · Score: 2, Funny

    "The planet is doing just fine... it's the people who are fucked."

    --

    "All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"

  12. Re:No Turkeys, no Bananas... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    I wouldn't fuck with a badger given the choice
    ... but a beaver on the other hand ...
    what about those turkeys he was talking about?
  13. Re:Pollution = hurting other people by JoaoPinheiro · · Score: 5, Funny
    When the gender ratio exceeds 3:1 mass situational homosexuality begins to kick in.

    Something tells me it's not a very good idea to hang around slashdot then. :P
  14. Re:Pollution = hurting other people by Robot+Randy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Somehow the title "Lesbian Spank Inferno" comes to mind.

  15. Re:No Turkeys, no Bananas... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Modern "food" turkeys have such huge breasts that they are physically unable to breed without human help. Even if they escaped their pens, they'd be doomed to extinction.

    They'd figure out how to have sex, Americans have.

  16. Re: Sadly it is true... alien visitors by Linker3000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Rubbish!

    Aliens will find:

    Fscking AOL CDs

    Chewing gum stains on all underfoot surfaces

    The Duke Nukem Forever development team still hard at work

    --
    AT&ROFLMAO
  17. Re:Humans are Entropy by element-o.p. · · Score: 2, Funny
    We're the winners. We rule. As a species, we're at the top of every single food chain on earth...

    No, we're not--we're only the third most intelligent species on earth. The dolphins, of course, are the second most intelligent species on earth (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitch_hiker's_guide_t o_the_galaxy).
    --
    MCSE? No, sir...I don't do Windows. Yes, I am an idealist. What's your point?
  18. Re:Moo by Quadraginta · · Score: 2, Funny

    the radiation levels inside where almost 100 times what they are just outside the door.

    All those inverse-square laws o' physics come in handy sometimes.

  19. Re:Pollution = hurting other people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Service you? No nerdboy, you would service US. Now go get me a beer, bitch. And put this wig on....

  20. Re:Pollution = hurting other people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I for one welco...

    ahh, forget it.

  21. If that post had a themesong... by patio11 · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... the chorus would be "Humanity. "#$% yeah."