When I first watched this some time back I felt the usual responses like it was defeatism and apocalyptic, but watching it a few times I can't help that George was just telling it plain, decades ago. When you get to the part about the viruses it's chillingly prophetic. Ultimately he's right: the earth with be just fine (unless a comet wipes it out for good), but we're done for, most likely. George Carlin, Master Jester, in the ancient sense of the term.
Yeah. Seems pretty prophetic. However, I think it is just an application of common sense of looking what has happened to previous species and applying what little knowledge we have to make a prediction of what is to come.
George wasn't a classically well educated man, as he often said, but he read voraciously and widely, and was well educated in life, combine that with incredible honestly, a passion for calling out bullshit, as he called it, and a man with an insight of prophecy, in a non religious sense, and you have as a result an extraordinary man. Much missed.
George's material certainly stands the test of time. I would just offer this one update: as he said, back in the day, the extinction rate was about 25 species a day. Now its over 250 a day.
Jeez.. really? That's shocking.
@David1955 Actually 250/day may be a little high. Current estimates are running around 150 -200 per day. Still, it way higher than the natural rate without human impacts .
@Flyingsaucesir yes, hence George's point about human arrogance.
Wisdom in comedy.
In his later years, he became more than a comedian, more like a social commentator and a prophet.