--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our planet is currently undergoing a mass…" description: "\"Our planet is currently undergoing a mass extinction of species called the Anthropocene - the Age of Man.\" — Louie Psihoyos" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/louie-psihoyos-32532_age_our-planet-is-currently-undergoing-a-mas_1222619.jpg" --- # Our planet is currently undergoing a mass extinction of… ![“Our planet is currently undergoing a mass extinction of species called the Anthropocene - the Age of Man.” quote by Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/louie-psihoyos-32532_age_our-planet-is-currently-undergoing-a-mas_1222619.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/louie-psihoyos-32532_age_our-planet-is-currently-undergoing-a-mas_1222619.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/louie-psihoyos-32532_age_our-planet-is-currently-undergoing-a-mas_1222619.jpg) > “Our planet is currently undergoing a mass extinction of species called the Anthropocene - the Age of Man.” [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human activity is causing a rapid, widespread loss of species, marking a new geological epoch defined by humanity’s impact. **In simple terms:** Human activity is causing massive species loss in the Anthropocene. Key Takeaway Act to protect biodiversity now. Themes environmental crisis human impact species loss Mood urgent somber Type environmental activist When to use this quote - conservation projects - policy advocacy - education - research - community action Key Concepts Ecology sustainability climate change Questions to Reflect On - What actions can you take to reduce your ecological footprint? - How can societies balance development with species protection? A Different Perspective Economic growth often conflicts with conservation efforts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Called Anthropocene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-anthropocene-2371712/) [Extinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinction/) [Extinction Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinction-species-1113282/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Mass extinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-extinction/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Our planet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-planet/) [Planet Currently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planet-currently-3750821/) [Planets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planets/) [Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species/) ## Related quotes > [If enough species are extinguished, will the ecosystems collapse, and will the extinction of most other species follow soon afterward? The only answer anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/if-enough-species-are-extinguished-will-the-ecosystems-collapse-and/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Land bridges were everywhere during the extinction, many species were spreading, and there were many diseases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-bakker/land-bridges-were-everywhere-during-the-extinction-many-species-were/) [Robert T. Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-bakker/) > [We discover too late that we have turned a blind eye to the extinction of a species that is essential to the balance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/we-discover-too-late-that-we-have-turned-a-blind-eye-to-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [... why are so many religious people arguing about the origin of the species but so few concerned about the extinction of the species?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/why-are-so-many-religious-people-arguing-about-the-origin-of-the/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [Thinking about the new epoch - often called the Anthropocene, or the age of humanity - challenges us to look at ourselves in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grinspoon/thinking-about-the-new-epoch-often-called-the-anthropocene-or-the-age/) [David Grinspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grinspoon/) > [Over most of history, threats have come from nature - disease, earthquakes, floods, and so forth. But the worst now come from us. We've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/over-most-of-history-threats-have-come-from-nature-disease/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [“There was a time in the ancient world - a very long time - in which the central cultural problem must have seemed an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-greenblatt/there-was-a-time-in-the-ancient-world-a-very-long-time-in-which-the/) [Stephen Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-greenblatt/) > [The early Triassic was a period when the planet was recovering from the worst mass extinction it had ever known - that was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annalee-newitz/the-early-triassic-was-a-period-when-the-planet-was-recovering-from/) [Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annalee-newitz/) > [What is your personal carrying capacity for grief, rage, despair? We are living in a period of mass extinction. The numbers stand at 200…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lierre-keith/what-is-your-personal-carrying-capacity-for-grief-rage-despair-we-are/) [Lierre Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lierre-keith/) > [We are killing life on Earth, we're in the sixth mass extinction event and it's possible that human beings will go extinct. We're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-bradbrook/we-are-killing-life-on-earth-we-re-in-the-sixth-mass-extinction-event/) [Gail Bradbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-bradbrook/) > [“During a mass extinction, vast swathes of the tree are cut short, as if attacked by crazed, axe-wielding madmen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kolbert/during-a-mass-extinction-vast-swathes-of-the-tree-are-cut-short-as-if/) [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) > [If we are to save humanity and the planet from the worst mass extinction of all time, worse even than that at the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lynas/if-we-are-to-save-humanity-and-the-planet-from-the-worst-mass/) [Mark Lynas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lynas/) > [We torture and kill two billion sentient living beings every week. 10,000 entire species are wiped out every year because of the actions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-wollen/we-torture-and-kill-two-billion-sentient-living-beings-every-week-10/) [Philip Wollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-wollen/) > [The extinctions ongoing worldwide promise to be at least as great as the mass extinction that occurred at the end of the age of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-extinctions-ongoing-worldwide-promise-to-be-at-least-as-great-as/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [We find ourselves heading fully into an era of mass extinction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/we-find-ourselves-heading-fully-into-an-era-of-mass-extinction/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) ## More by Louie Psihoyos > [The single most impactful thing you can do today is adopt a more plant-based diet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/the-single-most-impactful-thing-you-can-do-today-is-adopt-a-more/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [Change doesn't need to be overwhelming; it is not impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/change-doesn-t-need-to-be-overwhelming-it-is-not-impossible/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [Humanity is creating an extinction event that will make every war ever fought a footnote to history. We belong to the only generation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/humanity-is-creating-an-extinction-event-that-will-make-every-war/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [The action we take in the next few years will impact the Earth hundreds of millions of years from now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/the-action-we-take-in-the-next-few-years-will-impact-the-earth/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [A vegetarian driving a Hummer emits less carbon than a meat eater on a bicycle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/a-vegetarian-driving-a-hummer-emits-less-carbon-than-a-meat-eater-on/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [At the end of the century, humans will look back at our impact on the planet and World War II will be a footnote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/at-the-end-of-the-century-humans-will-look-back-at-our-impact-on-the/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [Cowspiracy may be the most important film made to inspire saving the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/cowspiracy-may-be-the-most-important-film-made-to-inspire-saving-the/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [What gives me hope is art - it's the most powerful weapons ever created. It's a weapon of mass construction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/what-gives-me-hope-is-art-it-s-the-most-powerful-weapons-ever-created/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [Half of all species on Earth could disappear by the end of the century because of our collective impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/half-of-all-species-on-earth-could-disappear-by-the-end-of-the/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [To me, you’re either an activist or an inactivist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/to-me-you-re-either-an-activist-or-an-inactivist/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [If you can reach just 10 percent of the population, you can begin to reach a tipping point; that's where true social movements take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/if-you-can-reach-just-10-percent-of-the-population-you-can-begin-to/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [I want to do the most subversive thing I couldn't do as a child: I want to take back the planet's future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/i-want-to-do-the-most-subversive-thing-i-couldn-t-do-as-a-child-i/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [Yes, we need to change, but simple changes can have profound impacts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-psihoyos/yes-we-need-to-change-but-simple-changes-can-have-profound-impacts/) [Louie Psihoyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-psihoyos/) > [I lived through the Cold War as a child, and we always thought a nuclear bomb could end life everywhere at any time. 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