" By inhabiting every corner of the planet, razing forests, and burning fossil fuels, people are changing the world so fast that many other species can 't cope"(Kolbert 1). This statement tells of a bitter truth that has affected the world since the advent of the evolved mankind, through various self-serving activities such as logging, mining, burning fossil fuels and continuously polluting both land and water. People have ensured through this and other wreckless means that other species that inhabit the world have poor living conditions and in some extreme cases that they have gone extinct. Mankind has led to the irreparable destruction of both the flora and Fauna of the world and it is only right that he work towards repairing what he …show more content…
There are presently over 8000 specimens of tissue samples in the San Diego frozen zoo in California. This come from 800 species or sub species and this is just a tip of the ice burg a million. Other such tissue banks are being put up around the world so that “they can be revived if necessary" (Lepage 2). This saving of human tissue should not be the answer to the problem of possible extinction of the various animals in the world. It is upon human beings to find ways to reduce their impact on animal life so as to safeguard instead of threaten the animals with extinction and then look to revive this animal life. It is much simpler for humans to change their ways such as stopping the rapid deforestation and encroaching in animal habitats and using of fossil fuels and polluting of the rivers with refuse from excesses of consumerism than it is to try and reintroduce this species when they go extinct because even the chances of man mimicking millions of years of creation are very slim at best. In South Africa in the Cape region they have seen that it is important to facilitate evolution instead of try to put it in a bottle. Dr. Richard Cowling of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth says that ""You 've got to preserve the processes."(Le Page, 2) Scientists have tried to invent
In contrast to the upheaval of animals in a development area, humans also make efforts to preserve biodiversity and forests by creating wild life
The scale and pace of change is dramatic; for example, the extinction of species is occurring at around 100-fold pre-human rates4. The population sizes of vertebrate species have, on average, declined by half over the last 45 years5. More than 2.3 million km2 of primary forest has been felled since 20006. About
The biologist E.O. Wilson estimated in 2002 that if current rates of human destruction of the biosphere continue, one-half of all plant and animal species of life on earth will be extinct in 100 years. In a survey in1998 conducted by the New York’s American Museum of Natural nearly of 70% of the 400 biologists interested believed that the Earth is currently in the early stages of a human-caused mass extinction, known as the Holocene extinction. In that survey, the same proportion of respondents agreed with the prediction that up to 20% of all living populations could become extinct within 30 years (by 2028). Probably these predictions are too catastrophic and is quite impossible to claim the mass extinction in a short term, but these are clear advises of how much deep and negative is the interference of the Humans in the environment and in the life of the other cohabitants of this planet. I believe this evidences required changing in the life style of the world population, especially from the most industrialized countries as Europe, North Americas and part of Asia even if they represent a small part of the world population are the cause of the biggest part of the global pollution.
The article by Bambury echoes the scientists warning that human beings should stop destroying the environment citing that it will adversely affect their survival. The article states that humans are stewards of the planet Earth and if they destroy it, they will bring misery to themselves. Besides, the study criticizes humans terming them as a species that may phase out other forms of life out of the planet Earth.
Summary: In a first person journey that brings her readers around the world, Elizabeth Kolbert researches and explains the effects of human domination on the planet and its resources. Using historical findings of previous extinctions in comparison to earth’s present state she attempts to provide cause and warning for mankind’s seemingly apocalyptic future. Her book, “The Sixth Extinction: an Unnatural History” delves deep into the idea that humanity is currently in the midst of the sixth period of extinction since the beginning of all life. Determined to warn the world of its destructive path, she examines the effects the human race has had (and will continue to have) on other species such as frogs, coral reefs, plants, water creatures, and many mammals while giving a brief yet thorough history lesson of the past five major extinctions that occurred prior to the appearance of Homo sapiens.
Edward O. Wilson suggests that humanity should pay attention to our environment. He was concerned about the large extinction of species within a single human generation. He has two reasons as to why we should pay attention to our diverse biosystem, which includes plants and animals. First, some of the species in our environment, large or small can have an economic value and can be used as a source of food or medicine in the future. He put an emphasis on people being ignorant by destroying on what might be a possible cure for cancer or any other disease. The second reason is the annihilation of a vast number of species might lead to the collapse of our ecosystem. For instance, the widespread loss of trees from brush fire or destruction of islands
During the nineteenth century, Humboldt was one of the few travelers that discovered the world and recorded different physical landscapes, climates, and oceans. A few decades later, Humboldt’s discovery of the world motivated Darwin to make further observations of the world specimens and the new theory of “Survival of the Fittest.” This new knowledge brought Marsh (1864) to understand that humans are the destructive power, and that they had destroyed the Earth’s ecosystem for thousands of years. According to Marsh (1864), This new knowledge brought Marsh (1864) to understand that humans are the destructive power, and that they had destroyed the Earth’s ecosystem for thousands of years. According to Marsh (1864), This new knowledge brought Marsh (1864) to understand that humans are the destructive power, and that they had destroyed the Earth’s ecosystem for thousands of years. According to Marsh (1864), people destroyed mountain reservoirs, fertilized land, killed many animals, cut many trees, and overused the natural resources of the
The destruction of the Earth’s environment is known by almost every human alive. Our planet is time and again being attacked by the dominant human race. People treat the earth as if it does not have a role in our survival as a species. This assault on the environment has been going on for centuries and has brought about consequences that many of us cannot even fathom. If the world is anything like the environment depicted in the novel He, She, and It, the world we know today will be seen as a haven. The environment in the novel as horrible as it may be, is not far from reality. Deterioration of the earth’s environment, population growth, depletion of our resources and world poverty are all issues that point to the future shown in He, She and It. The possibility that we could annihilate ourselves has never been more real. However, our species is one of the most adaptable creatures on Earth, and with our developing technology we might just be able to salvage the world we have left.
Kolbert’s argues that our alterations towards the environment have not had the best results. Kolbert presumes that the we are currently stuck in the middle of the next wave of mass extinction. Extinction is seen as a natural occurrence which acts in repetition as a part of the evolutionary cycle. Now the big question is “How can we prevent history from reoccurring, how can I assure my position and not be apart of the next extinction?”
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss depicts a world ravaged by deforestation and suffering from other environmental crises. In the town of Thneedville, an aspiring capitalist begins to sell his new product and as a result of booming business, the cornerstone of his business pays the price. The trees, the only natural resource used in production, are harvested to the point of extinction. The lack of trees leads to soil erosion, air pollution, and species extinction. While this is a children’s tale and Dr. Seuss’s illustration may be quite extreme, it is a reality for future generations of our planet. Human involvement in ecosystems by clearing land for urban development, logging, and agriculture have all exacerbated the rate of decline in the region’s natural systems. The deforestation of rainforests for the cultivation of palm oil is causing the possible extinction of orangutans and exacerbating air quality issues in Indonesia.
Imagine the planet Earth without plants or animals. What would it look like? Could humans live and thrive in such a world? What is scary is that in the future, such questions may not just be left to imagination. Humans have undoubtedly been affecting our environments since the beginning of our species from hunting to pollution. Some experts believe that we are now living in the period of the Anthropocene. Meaning, humans are almost solely responsible for the current state of the Earth. The planet Earth is now riddled with problems and impeding dander that, in the anthropogenic view, is attributed to humans. Correcting such problems will take more than a simple solution, if they can be corrected at all. Among the many problems within the Anthropocene, the problem of shrinking diversity poses a tremendous threat to the millions of species on the planet. Reducing the amount of green house gases released is a way to correct the shrinking diversity problem and although this solutions appears simple and potentially effective, it is just as riddle with problems like the big problem itself.
While the human population continues to grow so does the need for land to contain the growth. In man’s attempt to fulfill this need we find that we are encroaching on lands used for diverse wildlife and plant-life. The problem comes from the fact that when man moves into these new areas he usually takes over and in the process damages or destroys ecosystems that were in place. This loss of ecosystems equates to the loss of animal species and also plant species. This is happening in our world at an alarming rate. One issue that should be sending up a big red flag is that no one knows how the loss of these plants and animals is going to affect our planet. Luckily there are groups established such as the World Heritage Group which work to
Ecology- “the interactive relationships among living beings and their environment” (Hillel, 47). Throughout history man and nature and the relationship between the two has shaped the world we live in today. They have coexisted ever since the first humans were put on the earth. Over the years a lot has changed for the better and for the worse. Humans have begun to see nature differently than we originally did, therefore treating nature differently. Although humans have done some things to better and help nature, the amount of damage and pain that we have inflicted on it is overwhelming at times. I love nature and feel that it is a big part of who I am, so I obviously don’t like seeing it being treated this way and would love to one day make a real impact in bettering the well-being of nature and my surroundings. One big aspect that I feel has led to the mistreatment of our world is the lack of knowledge that the recent generations have of even the simplest aspects of nature like dirt and water for example, I will elaborate on both of these topics later in the paper. I also feel that harming the environment is more of a choice than something that is inevitable, humanity as a whole need to just step up and decide to fix the problem instead of being passive about it.
It is common to see advertisements both locally and globally stressing the importance of proper environmental management – preservation and conservation. Imprudent ecological governance has led to the extinction and diminution of several species of wildlife and plants. Mankind's pursuit of industrialization to make work easier, has resulted in the dangerous depletion of the earth's natural resources. Fingers are pointed as the blame is cast on organizations such as church and state. It appears as if humanity has refused to accept that proper environmental management is everyone's duty. Even though mankind was given the mandate to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth (Gen. 1: 28),
“For the greenest of environmentalists, humans are of lesser importance than the abundant and diverse flora and fauna of the planet. Humans are defined as a recent addition to the livestock and are considered to have been a wholly disruptive influence on a world which was paradise before their arrival.”[1]