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Endangered Species: The Problem and the Best Solution
Many organisms that have ever existed on earth are now extinct. For ever-changing ecological niches to be possible, as older species fade away, new species evolve. But, the extinction rate of plants and animals is far from constant. In the last millions of years that have passed, a very high percentage of all the species that have ever existed on earth have gradually disappeared. This is what is referred to as mass extinction. The species have vanished in a geological blink of an eye. The mass extinctions have their positives to the earth as they allow new life forms to emerge on earth. The most common belief is that the extinction of dinosaurs allowed the evolution of birds and other mammals. This essay aims at highlighting the problems with the development and the best solutions to help reduce the mass extinction.
The planet is facing the sixth mass extinction of animals and plants. In the past half a billion years, we’ve had the sixth wave of extinction. Since the disappearance of dinosaurs, we have been experiencing the worst phase of species dying off. The number of species being lost is 1-100000 times, and many species are going extinct as days go by. 30-50 percent of the current species are headed towards extinction. We have to worry because many species that are at risk of disappearing include: Amphibians, which more than 6000 known species are at risk of disappearing. Due to habitat loss, birds are also on the verge of disappearance alongside capture by collectors and invasive species. Fish are endangered due to the dumping of pollutants in water, which has led to the accumulation of the contaminants in the water. (“Extinction Crisis.”)
Bees are also endangered species at the moment. This is due to pesticides, as much as they are designed to kill insects, some are poisonous to the bees because of the toxic chemicals in them. Urbanization is another critical factor as their natural habitats get destroyed, and striping of weeds and flowers happens as urban houses are built. There are also deadly diseases that affect these bees, and the chemicals in the pesticides make bees more vulnerable to the diseases. There are working remedies that can be adopted to counter this problem of extinction of bees. A good practice would be creating pesticides free space for the bees to pollinate crops. The creation of healthy beehives would be a good solution, too and transporting the beehives all over the country for the bees to pollinate crops. Also, buying of plants whose seeds were not sprayed with pesticides would help a lot. Bees are essential as they pollinate plants that are used by humans as food, so they should be protected at all costs. (Zissu, 2017.)
There are various ways in which we can protect this endangered species. These include: providing knowledge about the endangered species to the public. I feel like educating the public more about the endangered species and ways in which we can save them; there will be a better chance of saving the endangered species. Safety measures can also be put to prevent invasive species from invading other existing species. There is also raising awareness to the general public on the dangers of losing these endangered species. As we discussed above on protecting bees, avoiding pesticides would help a lot and also be careful about the usage of chemical fertilizers. Finally, the other solution is recycling plastic bags which are a danger to the animals. Building a well-maintained wildlife facility will help in many ways, especially in keeping wild cats such as tigers, mostly confined in poorly maintained spaces and zoos (MsMojo).
In conclusion, these endangered species need to be protected at all costs. Understanding the root of the problem and why we are losing so many species is the first step to saving the species. As much as those in authorities are responsible for ensuring the conservation of the endangered species, I feel it’s the duty of everyone in the society we live in to take active responsibility in protecting these species. As Alexander puts it: “Most authorities agree that the fight to save the tiger can be won—but that it must be waged with unremitting professional focus that adheres to a proven strategy. It will require the human species to display not merely resolve but outright zealotry”
Works Cited
“The Extinction Crisis.” Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Biological Diversity,
www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction
_crisis/.
Zissu, Alexandra. “The Buzz About Colony Collapse Disorder.” NRDC, National Resources
Defense Council, 4 Oct. 2017, www.nrdc.org/stories/buzz-about-colony-collapsedisorder.
Alexander, Caroline. “A Cry for the Tiger.” National Geographic, 14 Sept. 2017,
www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2011/12/tigers/.
MsMojo. “Top 10 Ways To Protect Endangered Species.” YouTube, YouTube, 10 June 2016,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqNROoKmPLU.