Endangered species essay and questions

Summary

The topic of endangered species has become a very contentious and polarizing issue. For one, endangered species are becoming much more frequent due to issues related to globalizations, deforestation, economic expansion, and pollution. The topic of endangered species also has been relegated tertiary issue as many consumers often do not recognize it as an issue to be addressed. With little to no fanfare or media attention, more endangered species are now becoming extinct. Currently over 200 and 2000 extinctions occur every year. With over 2 million species on the earth, a casual observer would believe this to be insignificant. However, in recent years, the extinction numbers have rapidly increased, with 2020 alone seeing roughly 4,500 species going extinct. This is a very important issue as once a species is gone, there is no way to get the species back within the ecosystem. This deprives the ecosystem and humans of their ability to view, observe, interact, and even leverage the species for the benefit of the planet (Archibald, 2014).

Why you chose this issue

The need to protect endangered species is a very important element to human civilization. For one, endangered species may hold the cure to deadly diseases or viruses. For example, certain animals have certain elements or characteristics that can be very critical to stopping the spread of disease across the world. As we have realized with COVID-19, although infrequent, disease can spread rather rapidly and in a manner that is unpredictable. Animals cures have been leveraged by society for generations. With nearly 2000 extinctions occurring every year, the ability to generate these cures is heavily diminished overtime. For example, the giant panda located in China is an endangered species on the verge of extinction. However studies at Life Sciences College of Nanjing Agricultural University in China have found that the blood of the giant panda has antibiotic properties within it. The compound is able to kill bacteria and fungi that travel throughout the bloodstream of the giant panda. This blood, if properly studied can lead to human treatments as researchers continue to understand its properties. Endangered horse species have provided humans with clues as to how to improve eyesight by studying their genome map. Squalamine, a compound found in dogfish sharks\\\\\\\' tissue, another endangered species, has been known to help combat dengue fever and hepatitis. Researchers are even using rare porcupine quills to help created surgical tools and other medical devices to help penetrate human skin and internal organs better.

I chose this issue as it is important for human civilization to help protect these endangered species from becoming extinct. By doing so, they are in a better position to not only protect the species but also help to improve the overall livelihood of society in the future. The benefits derived from a reduction of disease, ailments, and other illnesses due to research on these animals is a benefit to society. In addition, allowing these species to go extinct could eventually disrupt the overall food chain and have compounding impacts. Here, there is a potential for other species to become endangered as the compounding effect of a species becoming extinct ripples through the ecosystem. Likewise the ability to simply observe, watch, and enjoy these animals within a natural setting enhances the overall quality of life of humans as well.

This topic is therefore very important, and it appears society overall has a misunderstanding as to its implications for society. I find it interesting that the sustainability movement does not have a more profound emphasis on the sustainability of species and wildlife. In many instances, the topic of the “Environment” is often used as a proxy for saving endangered species. However, it is my aim that endangered species are given much more emphasis during this overall movement. Here endangered species and the environment are heavily correlated. For one, human activity had depredated the land to such an extend that extinction rates are rising faster than historical norms. This not only impacts the environment but also engendered species (Baione, 2012).

Description and history of the issue

The history between endangered species and the environment is fairly simple. Human activity has harmed and disrupted a large portion of the ecosystem within the world. Activities such as construction, deforestation, oil extraction, and coal-based manufacturing have all harmed the environment and the species living within them.

The acceleration of endangered species occurred primarily during the industrial revolution. Prior to this era roughly 70% of the population worked in the agricultural sector. Here, many men worked as farmers, while women occupied roles within the home. They typically took care of the children, cooked and cleaned. These roles didn’t have a large impact on the surrounding ecosystem as many farmers where not using many of the innovation that would occur of the next decade. They primarily used manual labor to conduct their business activities.

However, due to innovations in engineering and other industries the industrial revolution occurred. Here, the revolution brought with it, a litany of changes including the introduction of the automobile, the steam engine, airplanes, microwaves, radio and much more. Each of these innovations help improve the productivity of society that prior to its introduction, had never been seen. Unfortunately these innovations heavily expanded construction, pollution, and environmental degradation. This would ultimately result in the extinction of a large amount of endangered species at the time. The cause was rapid expansion by society due to productivity gains from the industrial revolution. Pollutants also entered the ecosystem in much the same manner they do today. Here, oil production and occasional spills would containment nearby waterways and aquafers. Large amount of carbon dioxide would pollute nearby environments causing a litany of environment concerns. Even the creation of nuclear waste had an impact on ecosystems and the manner in which they behaved as endangered species become extinct.

Fast forward to modern times and these elements still exists. For example, carbon emissions from vehicles have contributed heavily to the greenhouse gas increases throughout the world. This warming impact has caused many species to go extinct. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 10,967 species are currently impacted due to the warming of the planet. The Bramble Cay melomys (Melomys rubicola) is the first mammal reported to have gone extinct as a direct result of climate change. Previously found only on the island of Bramble Cay in Great Barrier Reef, its habitat was destroyed by rising sea levels. Pollutants have also caused irreputable harm to the marine life. Here, higher nitrogen concentrations, acid rain, and haze have all adversely impacted endangered ocean species. The primary cause is the acidity levels within the ocean are rising due to higher concentrations of nitrogen. These higher concentrations ultimately create a form of poison that does allow marine life to survive. Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the ocean causes algae to form a rapid rate the many ecosystems cannot handle. As a result, the increase in algae create water quality issues that ultimately limit the amount of oxygen that fish can utilize. This ultimately results in illness and death for a large number of marine lives.

Current status of issue/problem

The current status of the issue is the same as described above. Due to human activity there is a rapid increase of the extinction of endangered species around the world. The rapid increase is well in excess of historical norms over the last 4 to 5 decades. The increase in extinction rates, according to experts, appears to be from human activity. The human activity that has been shown to influent the rise in extinction rates are heavily related to emissions and pollutants. These harmful compounds are a direct result of increases in construction, mining, use of petroleum-based products, deforestation, and more. Each of these elements heavily impacts the environment in a litany of ways. The first is due to the warming of the planet, which causes many ecosystems and species within them to be disrupted. Next, the destruction of these ecosystems due to economic expansion exacerbates many of the issues discussed above. Finally, harmful pollutants continue to create havoc for endangered species through poor air quality or disruption to the natural order of life. Here it appears that the issue is getting worse, when reviewing the extinction statistics.

Impact/importance of the issue; nationally and globally: on people, land, water, environment, economy, etc.

The impact and importance of the issue was discussed in detail in the paragraphs above. To summarize, the importance of this issue is related to a number of factors. The first, as discussed above is the inability for humans to leverage these animals for research and observation. The example used above was the Great Chinese Panda which has blood that can be useful for treatment for disease and illness. If the animal goes extinct, the ability to derive solutions that can benefit humankind could potentially be lost. As it relates to land, water, and the environment, the paragraphs above detail the damage that would occur to ecosystems around the world, the most prominent of which would be altered food chains. The effects of climate change on even the smallest species can threaten ecosystems and other species across the food chain. A common example is the acidification of the Artic Ocean and its impact on marine life in the surrounding area. Due to pollutants from petroleum-based products, oceans are becoming much more acidic. The nitrogen and the phosphorus in the ocean are leaving less oxygen available for marine life in the Artic Ocean. This has resulting in heavy reduction in krill populations in the ocean. This in turn, impacts whales, penguins and seals which use krill as they primary source of food and nourishment. As krill are often the lowest on the food chain, manmade environmental impacts ultimately harm these animals the hardest with repercussions up the food chain. The ultimately impacts the environment as not only are endangered species impacted, but the entire food chain and ecosystem. Finally as it relates to the economy the elimination of endangered species can also have an adverse impact. Using the marine life example above, the inability to properly hunt and acquire seafood due to man made activities will ultimately increase the price of these materials in the market. The increase in price could place strain on consumers which as of this writing are still financial constrained. For example, nearly 40% of the American population can not endure an emergency $400 expense. A rapid rise in animal-based products would therefore adversely impact the overall economy and those who jobs depend on animal-based products (Flannery, 2001).