By Bethany Bella

The evolution of life on Earth is a fascinating topic of discussion in the field of Environmental Science. As human beings, a hearty life of 96 years is a relatively lengthy lifespan some may say that 90 years is a tad too old, even. Yet this mere century is only a sliver, an insignificant notch, on an earthly timescale. At approximately 4.6 billion years, our Earth has seen many phases of incredibly diverse lifeforms, even before the dawn of humankind. From ancient civilizations, through the Dark Ages, to the fashionably flamboyant 1980s we alone as humans have experienced vast changes in our culture and society. Nevertheless, an often unspoken reality is the inevitable transition from life to an eternal slumber. Death is the natural, unapologetic end to our life as a human being the only assurance we have in this life is of our ultimate passing. Consequently, the Earth, as an evolving, dynamic biosphere, and the sun, our life-provider, will also undergo a transition from life-bearing to life-impeding. The tell-tale question dangles rather innocently when will all life cease to exist on Earth? A sobering study conducted by University of St. Andrews, Scotland astrobiologist Jack OMalley-James has determined that the Earths expiration will come in approximately 2.8 billion years. However, the first stages of the biospheres decadence will occur in roughly 500 million years, due to an increase in water vapor conjoined with a decline in global carbon dioxide levels. The study predicts temperatures on the Earth surface will gradually rise, as a result of the greenhouse effect coupled with global warming, thereby increasing the amount of evaporated water in the atmosphere. As carbon dioxide levels deplete, foliage and plant species dependent on carbon dioxide for photosynthetic processes will disappear. With plant counts in decline, animals dependent on these producers for glucose and life-giving oxygen will go extinct, as well. An estimated 2.8 billion years into the Earths future, only select communities of microbes are projected to remain, as the planet continues to warm in a continual greenhouse warming effect. Only the hardiest microbes will be able to cope with this [warming], until even they can no longer survive when temperatures cross the threshold at which DNA breaks down around [284F], OMalley-James said, after the study was accepted for publication by the International Journal of Astrobiology. The projected end of all life on Earth is a dismal surmise even if its almost 3 billion years from the present day. We would like to presume human activity will continue to prevail across the Earth for an infinite millennia; unfortunately, this rationale proves to be rather ambitious in theory. Nonetheless, scientists are taking this study and extrapolating quite useful information for continued research. By analyzing this sequence of Earths eventual decay, experts can hunt the galaxies for

planets once thought to be unfit for life but are merely in similar states of planetary collapse. Knowing what other potential signatures life could have could help us make a positive detection of life on a planet that may previously have been ignored, added OMalley-James. Instead of dwelling on this estimated expiration date, we as a curious, intellectual society should begin to critically examine our own solar system for additional planetary models, to help accurately predict the end of life on Earth, whenever it comes.