Earth Day

Part 1. 

Dell’Amore, Christine. “20,000 Species Are near Extinction: Is It Time to Rethink How We Decide Which to Save?” National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 15 Dec. 2013. Web. 2 May 2014. 

Animal and plant extinction is slowly become a reality as the human population grows and intrudes upon the natural environment. With many species on the verge of disappearing forever, scientists are now having to decide which are worth saving and which should be left to die out. Saving an endangered species takes millions and millions of dollars, and sometimes the species cannot be saved. Species that have some economic value, like seafood or tourism, are often easy to put on the “save” list. However, for the many, many others, conservation groups and scientists are having to choose which species are worth saving. With 20,000 species near extinction, all of humanity can’t save all of them. Many groups are saving the animals deemed “cute and fuzzy” because those are what the general populace likes. Tigers, elephants, and pandas are clear favorites to people who support wildlife conservation. Less attractive animals, however, like snakes and spiders and frogs, are dying out, even though they might be more beneficial to the ecosystem. However, as WWF argues, saving one larger, cute species often helps other lesser-known species, by setting aside protected habitat for them too. Scientists and statisticians are working to develop formulas to see which species will likely be able to be revived, and which would be a waste of valuable resources–that could be used to save a more promising species.

Dolasia, Meera. “Can Changing Rope Color Help save Endangered Whales?” DOGO News. DOGO Media, 14 Mar. 2014. Web. 2 May 2014. 

Today, less than 400 of the long endangered North Atlantic right whales exist in the wild. While it is finally illegal to hunt these whales, they are now faced with a new threat–lobster fishing nets. Eighty percent of North Atlantic right whales have scars from their encounters with fishing nets. However, the future is looking more hopeful as several scientists believe there may be an easy fix to the problem. Since right whales can distinguish between different colors based on their wavelength, it is believed that changing the color of the ropes to something they will notice may be the solution. Using PVC pipes in an experiment, researchers found that the right whales did not notice the green or black pipes, but made a obvious effort to avoid pipes that were red or orange. Scientists are now “working with manufacturers to create experimental red ropes,” that will hopefully help save the North Atlantic right whale population.

Kitchell, Mark. A Fierce Green Fire. PBS. Educational Broadcasting, 22 Apr. 2014. Web. 2 May 2014. 

Over the past several decades, the environmental movement has been gaining in popularity and necessity. Now, more than ever before, it is up to present generations to take action to save the planet, before it’s too late. The largest movements of the 20th century have been, and still are, the conservation movement, pollution and cleanup, Greenpeace, global resources, and climate change. As America, and other nations, have realized the need to start preserving and cleaning up the environment, we have seen the rise of groups and interests like the Sierra Club, the Love Canal Superfund, Greenpeace, and Brazilian rubber tappers. The nation is slowly starting to realize that regulations and policies need to be put in place to stop large corporations from controlling the water, land, and air. Though we have seen many successes over the last century, there have also been many failures. Climate change is among one of the most controversial issues. Global warming, though clearly evident today, has been continuously deemed a hoax by big business interests. Ultimately, America’s indecisiveness and unwillingness to accept a bigger role in environmental protection and conservation, and the role big business plays in controlling politics and legislation, are leading toward an uncertain and overwhelming negative future for not just humanity, but every other living creature.
My response:

            The issue of species endangerment and extinction is not a new one, and humanity needs to come to its senses and realize that we aren’t the only beings living on this planet. Though not every species can be saved, I hope, in the near future, nations can come together to help preserve and protect as many as they can. Losing a species is irreversible and can be detrimental to the ecosystem as a whole and other hurting species. More awareness and education needs to be spread on the issue, and people need to become more aware of how their actions are hurting and destroying the earth.