Cause of Extinction, Global Warming - Research Paper Example

?Cause of Extinction – Global Warming Today, the word “extinction” has come up with a great danger to the entire world. Nations are investing a lot amoney, energy, and resources to know the reasons behind extinction. This word always reminds human being to take necessary steps to preserve as well as conserve the eco-system and the ecology. At the same time it makes them feel that what they have done so far with the natural system was wrong and unethical. These unethical acts are basically helping them to know what they should do and what they should not. And the word “extinction” is the major reason for this kind of consciousness. Many of the species have become extinct so far. These include animals as well as plants. There are various reasons for extinction. The word extinction is used to describe a situation when the last living member of any species dies. This is a kind of situation where there is no other member of that lives in the planet. In other sense the particular species becomes obsolete. This is the situation where the concerned species is called “extinct”. Functional extinction of a species happens when only few members of that species survive but they are completely unable to reproduce due to many biotic reasons, such as age, poor health etc. There are various reasons behind extinction of any species. Most of those reasons are natural reasons, which are beyond any human control. But many of those reasons include direct or indirect human intervention into the natural system. The extinction of Dinosaur was entirely due to the natural reasons. Many of the big species became extinction due to unexpected natural phenomena. All of those phenomena were beyond human control. Recently most of the species are getting extinct also because of the natural reasons, but those phenomena have direct or indirect human intervention into the society. Global Warming is one of the most important reasons that have actually caused extinction of many of the species around the world. Human intervention into the natural system of the ecology is one of the major reasons for Global Warming. The rapid loss of large areas of habitats for the species is also the major reason of extinction. These phenomenon leads to loss of food and shelter for these species, such as Megafauna, Saber-toothed cats, Mammoths, giant Ground Sloths etc. Again these species are becoming extinct because of some other factors also. Human beings are getting much more conscious about their current direct consumption of natural resource. To accomplish this, they are degrading the nature in a way that is creating threats to those species. This phenomenon is also directly or indirectly affecting the ecology of the planet the earth. And those are again directly or indirectly affecting the lives of those species and also the lives of humans (Sodhi, Bradshaw, & Brook, 514). But among all these reasons global warming is a key factor causing the extinction of different species around the whole world. Global Warming and Extinction: Global Warming or the problem of global climate change is the most important reasons for extinction of many of the known species around the whole world. These two reasons are basically interrelated. A recent study suggests that by 2050 almost 37% of well-known plants and animal species will be extinct (Climate Change Headlines from 2000 to 2009). The human-intervened global warming has caused the first known mammal in 2008. In some of the parts of the world, such as northern Queensland, many of the species cannot survive because the temperature has gone up to 30 °C (Climate Change Headlines from 2000 to 2009). This kind of scenario is also the same in the northern regions and in other southern regions of the world. One of the most fascinating studies reveals that before 2100 there will be complete human extinction. And again the reason is global warming and the world climate change. In that time, the temperature of the world will be 29 °F or 16 °C and in the atmosphere the carbon dioxide levels will reach to a level of 1000 to 1100 ppmv (Climate Change Headlines from 2000 to 2009). The survival of plants as well as animals depends on the environmental conditions. These conditions, along with other important factors, define the functions and distributions of plants. Those factors, which create long term impacts on the environmental conditions, are considered as the most influential factors affecting the diversity patterns of the plants. The main reasons for global warming and climate changes are required to be discussed on different grounds (The Consequences of Global Warming). One ground of explanation deals with the natural reasons and the other basically deals largely with human interventions. The first reasons basically describe the scenarios where human interventions are either not related or they are indirectly related. But the second reason entirely deals with the situations that are due to direct human intervention. This reason is the most effective and most violent reason for global warming and hence for extinction of varieties of species. Natural factors for global warming are happening frequently in the world today. Massive volcanic eruptions of dust are becoming as the shield to solar radiation and hence cause the overall temperature of the world to rise up. Again the increased solar radiation of the earth is also causing short-term global warming (Lean, Sheeley, & Wang, 2289). Levels of greenhouse gases, such as, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, methane etc., are increasing rapidly. These gases prevent the solar heat rays to escape from the earth by using a trap in the atmosphere. This is the most important culprit of global warming. Some of the natural gases are increasing the temperature of the earth. These reasons are basically increasing the heat in the nature, for which many of the species are losing their habitats as well as their food. Hence they are becoming extinct. This scenario is true for the species in northern Queensland (Walter, Zimov, Chanton, Verbyla, & Chapin, 74). The polar bears are the perfect example related to this scenario. Again some of the supernatural phenomena, such as fall of meteors, the unexpected frequency of the earthquakes etc., are creating adverse effects on the nature and on the surviving conditions of the species around the globe. Also the rapid increase in the natural phenomena like droughts, flooding, famine etc. are causing the global instability of weather and the climate, which is negatively affecting the survival of the species around the world. The factors that are more important regarding global warming and hence extinction of species is the human intervention and their various activities. There are various forms of human activities that are directly or indirectly affecting the natural system. The survival of species depends largely upon the surrounding natural system. Due to various human activities, different species are becoming extinct, as their habitats are getting changed. These changing habitats are creating adverse effects on their lives and also on their living habits. Some of the species are getting extinct because of complete changes of their habitats. One of the most important factors behind global warming that was pointed out was the creation of a hole in the Ozone layer of the atmosphere of the earth. This was then explained as the most important reason of the rapid increase in the overall temperature of the earth. Although many environmentalists and scientists are working hard to know the exact factors behind these global climatic changes, but most of them have agreed that rapid uses of air-conditioners, refrigerators, mobile phones are creating the adverse effects on the natural system of the earth and hence they are causing the extinction of the species. These goods are getting responsible for creating the hole in the Ozone layer of the atmosphere. For this phenomenon the heat of the sun is coming directly into the earth and it is increasing the overall temperature of the earth. Due to this increase in the temperature, the climate of the two Poles is getting changed (temperature is increasing rapidly), which is not at all suitable for the Polar Bears, Penguins, Seals, Blue Whale, different types of birds (Mandelamn, Coope, Lagueux, & Werner, 427). Again the inventions of different large industrial areas around the whole world and the increase in the uses and extractions of minerals and geological materials are creating adverse effects on the nature. These are also causing the overall level of temperature of the world to increase at a level that becomes completely unsuitable for different species to live in their natural habitats. Some of species are getting extinct mainly because of these reasons. The fact is that, the overall population of the world is increasing in such a rapid pace that it is becoming more important and necessary to use these minerals and materials. Hence it can be said that the future of these species is at grave danger. Some of the countries are using the minerals and geological materials in ways that are creating greater problems for the species which are living under the surface of the earth, like warms. These extractions of the minerals are just changing the temperature under the surface of the earth. Again the increase in the world population has caused the rapid destruction of the greenery around the whole world. This has also caused the animals of those forests to become extinct or near to extinction due to lack of food as well as lack of shelter. The problem of global warming has caused them to live in areas that are not at all healthy and suitable for them (Bycatch, ethics and pitfall traps). Again the extensive use of fossil fuels for driving cars are increasing the overall temperature of the world and hence creating negative effects on the habitats for the species around the entire world. Again the rapid expansion of the natural phenomena, like droughts, floods, famine etc., is creating the negative impacts on the habitats of species through global warming. These phenomena are entirely natural, but today they are largely dependent upon human activities. And these activities are causing many species around the world to become extinct. Again the uses of the above mentioned goods are responsible for CO2 emissions that are largely responsible for the global warming and global climatic changes. Due to various above mentioned human activities the sea level is raising; there is occurring changes in the seasonal weather and precipitation patterns; there is occurring severe weather effects; the rivers and the lakes, fed by snow and ice, are getting melted off; habitats of varieties of plants and animals are getting changed. Due to all these phenomena, global warming is causing a rise in the altitudinal distribution of mosquitoes. This is changing the mosquito-free environment of many species. Hence the habitats of these species are getting changed and are largely affecting the survival of these species (Bycatch, ethics and pitfall traps). The problem of global warming is also getting more and more adverse to the survival of the species because of the fact that human beings are getting much more addicted to the use of luxury goods like cars, mobile phones, air conditioners etc. which are affecting the normal weather of the different parts of the world and hence are causing the extinction of many of the species. These goods are emitting few of the gases that are responsible for global warming. Global warming is causing the fishes to become extinct at large. Not only some of species of fishes have already become extinct, but also the remaining fishes are supposed to meet up the growing need of people around the world. Hence people are getting involved in overfishing and the problem of by-catch is also becoming large. The problem of by- catch can be explained as the extraction of the small fishes along with the big fishes of rivers and lakes or even seas (Bycatch, ethics and pitfall traps). These small fishes are basically treated as food for the big fishes. Hence, the loss of these small fishes is actually causing the big fishes to die due to lack of food. Again by-catch becomes much more problematic when the fishermen unintentionally catch the fish which they did not mean to catch. Not only fishes, these fishermen often catch some other animals of seas or rivers like seabirds, marine mammals, crustaceans, and mollusks etc (Black, Small, Croxall, Dunn, Sullivan, Yates, & Anderson, 94). These poor fishes and animals are then released into the sea or river, dead by suffocation. Almost 300,000 dolphins, whales are dying every year (Mandelamn, Coope, Lagueux, Werner). More than 100 million sharks are also becoming extinct every year (Sarah). This problem of by- catch is completely unethical and unjust and it should be stopped. Again the problem of overfishing is creating the great threat to the survival of the species of fishes and other animals. Overfishing and the passion for the extra income of the fishermen are forcing at large these very species to become completely extinct. These human activities are creating tremendous threats to the habitats of these species (Sarah). Since fishes are great sources of protein, so people are getting more and more willing to catch as much fish as possible which is again affecting the natural habitats of those fishes. Global warming is creating a great problem to the survival of these species. Besides that, the problem of overfishing and by-catch, those are indirectly related to the problem of global warming, are causing the extinction of the species around the whole world. These human activities are largely affecting the global warming problem and are causing the extinction of large varieties of species around the world (Bycatch). Conclusion: Many of the species of animals and birds and plants have become extinct from the world so far. Many of them can even never be found anywhere in the world. Some of them can be found as fossils. The question then arises that what should be done to prevent this problem of extinction of species? The answer this question requires inclusions and considerations of many dimensions of the society. The problems related to natural factors of global warming cannot easily be solved by human interventions. These require a great deal of judgment and predictions of the natural phenomena. These understandings are very difficult. Only those natural factors which are related to human interventions can be predicted and stopped or restricted. Many of the species have become extinct due the big natural disasters. The fall of a large meteor has caused the destruction of dinosaur. These problems are completely unstoppable. Inspite of all these things necessary steps should have to be taken to lower the probability of these phenomena. The most important measurements have to be taken in regard to the human interventions of the cause of extinction. People need to be much more aware of all the problems of global warming and hence the problem of extinction of the species and the related effects on the nature. The use of all the goods which are causing global warming should be restricted. Necessary steps should have to be taken against by-catch and overfishing by all the countries (OECD). People should depend on the nature, rather than controlling its activities. The industrial goods need to be produced but not at the expanse of the extinction of the species. The problem of extinction of species is related to many issues, which are interrelated. Hence, all these issues have to be considered together with equal weightage. References Anderson, Orea R. J., et al, Global seabird bycatch in longline fisheries. Endangered Species Research, (2011) 14, 91-100 Bycatch, Wikipedia, 2011, November 22, 2011 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By-catch Climate Change Headlines from 2000 to 2009, n.d., November 21, 2011 from http://globalwarming.com/2010/05/climate-change-headlines-from-2000-to-2009/ Bycatch, ethics and pitfall traps. Editorial, Journal of Insect Conservation, (1999) 3.1,1-3 G., Sarah, Stop Overfishing the World’s Oceans. Letters to the Next Presidents, 2008, November 22, 2011 from http://www.letters2president.org/letters/7951-stop-overfishing-the-world39s-oceans Lean, J. L., Wang, Y.M., & Sheeley, N.R. "The effect of increasing solar activity on the Sun's total and open magnetic flux during multiple cycles: Implications for solar forcing of climate". Geophysical Research Letter (2002). 29 (24), 2224-2320 Mandelamn, John. W., Cooper, Peter. W., Werner, Timothy. B., & Lagueux, Kerry. M. Shark bycatch and depredation in the U.S. Atlantic pelagic longline fishery, Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 2008, 18, 427–442, November 22, 2011 from: http://www.bycatch.org/publications OECD. Towards sustainable fisheries: economic aspects of the management of living marine resources. OECD Paris, 1997, November 22, 2011 from http://www.oecd.org/document/62/0,3746,en_2649_33901_2508478_1_1_1_1,00.html Sodhi, Navjot. S., Brook, Barry. W., & Bradshaw, Corey. A. J. Causes and Consequences of Species Extinction. USA: Princeton, Chapter V.1, 514-520, November 21, 2011 from http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s5_8879.pdf The Consequences of Global Warming, NRDC, 2011, November 21, 2011 from: http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/fcons.asp Walter, KM, Zimov, SA, Chanton, JP, Verbyla, D. & Chapin F. "Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climate warming" Nature (7 September 2006) 443. 7107, 71–75 Read More