Human impact on the environment has been significant and often detrimental, as highlighted in Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything." Over the past fifty thousand years, the expansion of humans into different regions has coincided with dramatic declines in animal populations. This pattern illustrates a troubling relationship between human activity and biodiversity loss.

The exact extent of the damage caused by humans remains uncertain, but the evidence of mass extinctions linked to human presence is undeniable. This reflects a broader issue where human progress often comes at the expense of the natural world, leading to a critical need for conservation and awareness of our ecological footprint.