Judy Braddy Hunter May Not

¶ … Judy Braddy

Hunter May

Not Everything is Worth Saving

"Since the Endangered Species Act was passed by the government in 1973, people have come to realize that they must change their ways if other species besides humans are to survive. The Endangered Species Act accomplishes this goal; however, it is biting off more than it can chew. While this act is trying to save species from becoming extinct, it's efforts have resulted in large sums of money loss to the government. An example? In 2011, the construction of a hospital was delayed due to a sighting of an endangered species of fly around the construction area of the unfinished hospital. To make a story short, the rare species of fly flew away, never to be rescued, which made the government lose thousands of dollars for something that was not worth the money. If endangered animals are to be saved, then only the animals that have some value and importance should be saved, so that the efforts to save that animal species is not in vain. (Debate.org)"

Introduction

In a world full of lies one truth still prevails the strong will survive. In every class on general science, one topic is continually brought forth Survival of the Fittest. It cannot be stopped and as such trying to save endangered species is a futile effort that needs to cease. More good can be done in the world if we simple let the weak disappear into the dust of history and strive to make sure that humanity never drops in nature's hierarchical scale. We can see those that have already gone extinct in the past, what science tells us about the how we have come to the present through evolution, and finally how much money is waste to these useless efforts.

Furthermore, as much as any part of our heritage, private property defines who we are as Americans. It is an organizing principle for our government and cultural symbol of our independence and freedom (Castelnuovo). Therefore, there is an inherent contradiction in the rights of the individual and the collective rights of animals. Some animals are predators that damage human property, or humans themselves. Protecting animals places expensive and unfair burdens against the public. The expenses associated with the protection of these species represent a considerable expenditure to the public. The U.S. federal and state governments spent just more than $1.7 billion to conserve endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in fiscal year (FY) 2012 (from October 1, 2011, to September 30, 2012), according to an accounting recently published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS); that's up from $1.59 billion in FY 2011 and $1.45 billion in FY 2010 (Platt).

There is another issue that is deeply intertwined with the protection of endangered species. Climate change, or global warming, is threating the ecosystems of millions of different species. There are at least 8 million unique species of life on the planet and many of the animals are under a threat that is not due to direct human involvement (Walsh). The habitat destruction that is being caused is not something that animal protection acts can address. The problem is with the changing conditions of the environment, these species are losing their habitats altogether or being forced to either migrate or adapt. There have been five extinction waves in the planet's history -- including the Permian extinction 250 million years ago, when an estimated 70% of all terrestrial animals and 96% of all marine creatures vanished, and, most recently, the Cretaceous event 65 million years ago, which ended the reign of the dinosaurs (Walsh). Therefore, it could be said that the environmental protection acts or not only a waste of money, but relatively useless as well as the conditions of the planet change.

Conclusion