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CM . . .
. Volume VIII Number 20 . . . . June 6, 2002
Extinction
is "the end of evolution" for a species, and twice in Earth's history,
mass extinctions have caused the death of over 50% of existing species.
Natural catastrophes -- volcanic eruption and an asteroid crash - have
caused these disasters. The End of Evolution begins with an aerial
view of New York, (an unintentional irony, given recent events), and,
as we view the skyline of one of the world's most densely populated cities,
the narrator warns of an impending third extinction. This one, however,
will be caused by man's devastation of the environment.
This "third event" is the prediction
of Dr. Peter Ward, a paleontologist who studies the earth's fossil records,
"the graveyard of mass extinction." The video takes us to digs in South
Africa, Hawaii, and Alberta, where we see the evidence of previous extinctions,
as well as the rapid disappearance of numerous species in the last century.
Ward hypothesizes that the current high levels of carbon dioxide emissions
and other atmospheric pollutants are creating conditions similar to
those of the first and second events of extinction. Global warming and
cataclysmic climate change have happened before, and similar conditions
appear to be developing now. Unless humankind takes steps to protect
the ecosystems in which both small and great organisms live and flourish,
the third event is inevitable.
The End of Evolution offers a
sobering look at the consequence of man's impact on the environment.
Ward and the many other scientists interviewed in the course of this
video present their case clearly and convincingly; it is provocative
without being stridently alarmist. The video would probably find its
most effective use in upper-level courses in ecology and biology; a
basic understanding of evolutionary theory and the concepts of ecosystems
and biodiversity are necessary underpinnings of Ward's theory. For this
reason, I strongly recommend that prospective purchasers preview the
video before purchase for a school or divisional video library, and
that science teachers be invited to participate in the preview process.
The video might be a bit advanced for some school audiences.
Nevertheless, The End of Evolution
is a quality production and certainly worth acquiring as a supplementary
resource for senior high school science courses.
Recommended. Joanne
Peters is a teacher-librarian at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg, MB.
To comment on this
title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal
use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other
reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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