English Literature

Michael Novacek wrote with complete control of a subject that is very familiar to
him since he is a scientist. In The Sixth Extinction he had presented facts and
statistics that supported theories of histories of annihilations of living things.

These extinctions came before the existence of human form. With or without human
interventions, circumstances will happen that would cause these phenomena.  This is not
to excuse the human involvement to what happened to our environment today, in fact,
every species is a contributor to the slow or fast utilization of all elements that contain
this planet thereby causing its destruction. The human association of Novaceks theory in
the The Sixth Extinction is not far from coming to reality after all, we are the most
intelligent engineers to this planets toxic manipulations. In his article, the slow
obliteration of many species in this planet was caused by human engineered lethal waste
that was physically destructive to life as well as the environment. In this form will take
shape the sixth extinction and it is now making its manifestation to jumpstart at speed
that would wipe away species without much of a second glance. In 2007 according to the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 39 percent of the life form is
facing annihilation.  This is a realistic finding and hard truth about this planet.  One by
one, genus of lives finds a way to disappearance without chance of coming back.

Whatever reason there may be to it, the present generation of mankind may not find the
answer. At first glance, all things that happened in this world seemed like a mystery.

Novacek wrote with such dynamism and energy so that his conviction flowed unto his
words that made it very realistic as his facts and figures that were presented in his work.
The only way to make a simpler co-existence is to accept these as facts and learn not to
interfere with its process.  Yet life is not meant to be as without intervention. The process
of symbioses is the natural law that governs all living things in this inanimate earth.  The
planet itself is governed by the reality of other planets in the solar system and the
universe beyond. Each is affected by the energies it shared and any manipulation or
accident that disturbs its regular beat sends cosmic syndrome that affects us all. This is
supported by the meteor catastrophe theory that caused the incineration of many living
things million years ago, including the dinosaurs. Novaceks theory of another major life
clean up is very different from the last one although he wrote that the degree would not
be any less referring to the gauge that the IUCN has listed in their studies.  He
hypothesized that the cause of this would come from within humankinds own quests to
control and govern the planet.  The coming doomsday is mans own making.  He wrote,
we are our own asteroids. This proposition has shifted Novaceks balance in his article
from a scientific form of writing into a literary venture for intrigue. He is quite right of
his assumption even minus the facts that he presented at the beginning of his article.  This
proposition serves only to fulfil his goal of writing an article of this topic, whatever it
might be only he knew. Mans great inventions backfired and eventually will cause
his own destruction.

Novaceks style of presenting a scientific observation is a cross between an
objective study and a literary solicitation. His use of scientific data to present a
probability is directed towards the emotional aspect of the reader.  He emphasized on the
mode of total annihilation to drive an objective study into the minds of his readers by
making his style gloomy. He used words as doomsday, major shocks, and trauma to
inculcate into the psyche the immensity of the situation that has been threatening the very
existence of mankind. His use of the scientific evidence added the persuasive quality of
his work making it both a report and literary work at the same time.

Novacek however has a tendency to over sentimentalize. This description of his
work should not attach the derogatory part of my description.  I believe that there is a
critical excess of emotional connotation of his work so that the reader has a tendency to
treat it like a science fiction piece of literature. This could be evidenced by the use of
systematic data that he validated with a literary comparative expression as six-mile-wide
asteroid, (a mile higher than Mount Everest).
   
The Sixth Extinction   has presented the argument strongly that invited us all to
be responsible for our own survival.  Novacek could not be faulted in any manner and
disagreed against with the evidences that he presented in his article.  If I dwell in this
presentation however, nothing comes as safe even before the evolution of man.  Species
disappear totally and finally from causes completely without mans intervention.  Now
with his existence and advancement using the most potent force as scientific and logical
intelligence, it boomeranged and posed to hit back, engineering his total destruction.

What did it do to my psyche I could not appreciate anything because it might in the long
run destroy me. This is where the sentimentality of Novaceks article had asserted in the
readers  psychology. We can feel the delicate balance that Novaceks has characterized
his work. It is exciting but we cannot feel a solid ground beneath it because he made it so.
There is a degree of confusion as to what is the ultimate goal of this article.  Did Novacek
wanted to present a study for his reader to react to or he wanted to touch the poignant
sides of his readers to make them reflect and be guilty of their carelessness to their
environment  I am exaggerating. I wanted to explore the dimensions of Novaceks work
from beyond his presentation so that I will have a detached point of view rather than react
according to what I feel as I read his  article.

I could not allow myself to be governed with such subjective idea that could not
appreciate my hours in this beautiful world.  I would rather side with Novacek with
precaution. The world and the universe in general existed along with all the probabilities
of its destruction right from the very start of its existence.  If I would be allowed to set
aside my scientific reasoning and use a bit of literary beauty to express an argument
about life, I would say that the facts of life is stated in this beautiful line, today is the
first day of the rest of your life The line may be a bit too sentimental for a mind that
has advanced to studying and finding reasons and facts that are essential to our survival.

We all owe them our heartfelt and most sincere gratitude for finding the energy and
dedication for the preservation of our environment and our existence, for a fact. We also
need to do our share to that principle of self preservation.  It is our very responsibility that
would safeguard us to this inevitable force that is coming to us.  Novacek has stated too
that this is only one of the many probabilities that could that would cause this major
clean-up.  It is a phenomenon and therefore it escapes all forms of explanation and
reason.  To disagree with Novacek will be a very grave form of irresponsibility.  It could
amount to surrender and to attack the facts and information that he presented in his work
does not conform to mans superiority over the rest of life form, in terms of reason. We
all have a choice to be responsible, and with this responsibility it includes a choice for
living a more meaningful existence if it meant to be lost when the time comes for it to be.