Re: What would the effect of magnetic pole reversal be on life of the earth?

Check out this NASA website: http://istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthmag/NSTA1C.htm
(this is the third page of three on earth's magnetic field - you might want 
to look at all three)

The answer is: not much, at least not in regard to radiation damage.

Some animals, such as bees, do seem to use magnetic fields as aids to 
navigation, but I don't know how much of an impact a reversal (which 
happens as a gradual weakening and then strengthening in the opposite 
polarity over several thousand years) would have on them.

David Smith
Geology and Environmental Science
La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA