Endangered Species

Endangering Other Species

Since the dawn of their civilization, humans have been striving to be the best and dominate whatever situation they may encounter.  The need to dominate has carried over in every aspect of their lives as a civilization, this includes the environment.  Through the over planting of crops, the over use of natural resources, and the need for more space for population growth, humans have greatly impacted the other species that coincide with them on Earth.  Many animals have suffered great losses in numbers due to the actions of humans.  Humans have hunted other species for their own gain, raped and pillaged many of the lands that other species had called “home” for centuries, and added pollutants to the air and water supplies. 

Across the globe animals are hunted for one specific thing while the rest of the carcass is left to rot, such as elephants and rhinoceros for their tusks and exotic cats for their furs.  Urban development also leads to a drastic reduction in species because animals are forced into smaller areas where they run out of resources or are eliminated by predators that have easier access to them.  Global warming has caused the glaciers to melt at a faster rate than the rate that would naturally, thus making it harder for animals in those regions to gather food and adjust to the changes in their environments.  According to Endangered Species, Endangered Act by Michael J Bean, in 1966 Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act, which was more or less a list of which species were in danger of becoming extinct, followed three years later by the prohibition of importing endanger animals.  Soon after, the public realized the severity of this global issue, which led to President Nixon signing a bill on December 28, 1973, that enforced stronger rules and regulations as it pertained to endangered species.  While the earlier act helped animals such as the California condor and the Florida panther the later act expanded to help plants as well as invertebrates.  Wild life conservation groups are now active to help ensure that these species are protected.

            Don’t all species deserve a fair chance to carry out their niche?  How high and mighty do humans consider themselves to be, that they get to play God and destroy the lives of other species?  Truth be told, these species have natural predators, but that is a part of the circle of life, eliminating mass numbers of fully healthy species are not.  Diversity is what makes different places unique, without it the world would be bland.  Something has to be done to help protect the other species of the planet from the same fate of the Woolly Mammoth and the Saber Tooth Tiger, or the animals that humans cherish today may not make it into the future to be cherished by future generations.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00139159909604609